The Trinity Ark: Heart of the Terran
by Lady Artimes Blaine
Summary: Commander Artimes Blaine and Marshal Jim Raynor discover, learn, and combat the Zerg. Artimes is different from your average Terran and she knows it. She hides her powers and her emotions. Her trust is not easily earned. Can Jim find a way to give back what the Confederacy stole from her...her heart? And what's up with the Protoss and the Zerg? Part One of The Trinity Ark.
1. Chapter 1: Wastelands

Author's Rant

Lady A: Hey Everyone! I bet you were not expecting this. I figured out why my muse was MIA. She fled from the fantasy genre and into the scifi genre. I welcome you to the Trinity Ark: Heart of the Terran. Please keep in mind that this will NOT have any of the Starcraft II storyline, but at some point in the subsequent installments, there will be stuff from Brood War. Also there will be installments for both the Zerg and Protoss campaigns: Call of the Zerg and Rise of the Protoss. There will be a fourth installment which will be my unique twist to the Starcraft legacy: The Genesis Project. So please enjoy my insanity in the scifi genre.

Raynor: This should be good.

Kerrigan: I'm thinking the same thing…You pig!

Raynor: I didn't say anything!

Kerrigan: But you were thinking it.

Raynor: I forgot, you're a telepath.

Lady A: *smacks Raynor in the back of the head*

Raynor: Hey!

Lady A: Pervert. *walks away*

Disclaimer: I do not own Starcraft, Brood War, or anything else I make references to, so back off you crazy lawyers or I'll feed you to the Zerglings.

Chapter One: Wastelands

Tarsonis, Home World of the Confederacy

Military Headquarters, Admiral of Operations Office: 0930 hours

"Commander Blaine, you have been appointed Chief Magistrate of Mar Sara Colony. The local Confederate officer is General Duke, leader of the Alpha squadron. You are to leave immediately and you will be placed in cryostasis for the duration of the journey. Your orders are to secure the colony and prevent mass panic from breaking out. Once it has been determined safe, you are to relocate the colonists to MS 1. Be on the lookout for unknown organisms and they are to be treated as extremely hostile. They attacked Mar Sara's sister colony, Chau Sara. That is all. Dismissed." The admiral ordered.

A young crimson haired, silver eyed woman saluted and left the admiral's office. She glanced down at the holopad in her hand and read over the reports.

"There have been reports of unidentified creatures attacking Confederate settlements. Chau Sara is currently under siege by said unknown organisms and because of this, they are shipping me off to some fringe world for God knows how long. I must have really pissed off the brass or something. To top it all off, I'll be stuck in an icy coffin for three months. What the hell did I do to deserve this? Oh well, orders are orders and Commander Artimes Blaine will follow them. What makes them think I can run a colony anyway?" She griped while wandering through the complex.

She was really getting tired of the military issued gray color that they loved to decorate the walls with. Made the whole place seem like a prison cell. She'll be glad to leave the Confederate home world, Tarsonis. Too many people and way too many soldiers for her liking. Not to mention, the Confederate scientists who were waiting in the wings to pounce on another psionically gifted human.

She entered the barracks and shuffled down another bleakly gray hallway to her quarters. Upon arrival at said quarters, she packed her things which oddly enough, weren't much. She didn't have much of anything besides her clothes, EPGs, dog tags, and a gold chain necklace with a green jewel attached at the bottom.

She had nothing of sentimental value because she had no friends or family which meant no teary eyed goodbyes. Her only friend was Alan, but he, sadly, was driven insane by the Confederate scientists and had to be 'euthanized'. She grit her teeth for a moment while trying to rein in her anger. Those bastards took the only thing she ever cared about and claimed it was all for the sake of scientific research with their so called 'Specter' program.

She locked away her emotions and slung her pack behind her. She exited the barracks and made her way over to the space port, narrowly avoiding wraith pilots in their mad dash to the mess hall and was almost stepped on by a Goliath class mech warrior. Today was not her day.

She finally made it to hanger three where a small carrier consisting of two SCVs and a small contingent of marines were waiting for her. She recognized the marines instantly. There was Grayson, Carter, Marcus, Carson, and Masters. They saluted when she approached and she acknowledged them with a nod. She had worked with them on several occasions and were the closest thing she had to 'friends'. She used the term lightly, but they followed orders and they respected her.

The Confederacy was never overly abundant with the smaller operations, but this was borderline ridiculous. They were sending them to a fringe world and into hostile territory with no more than a pat on the back and a good luck. God, she hated the Confederacy _and_ everything they stood for, but a job was a job. Didn't mean she had to like it, right?

She climbed up the steps and entered the carrier. She was greeted by a technician from the cryostasis division and Artimes had to resist the urge to slap him, his superiors, and the idiots who created those blasted icy coffins. She just gave him a polite smile as she approached him.

"I'm here to get you prepared for stasis, ma'am." He informed saluting.

'Thank you, Captain Obvious.' She thought dryly.

She simply nodded and swiftly stored away her gear. She proceeded through the medical examination and subsequent psychological evaluation.

"Your brain activity is showing a substantial increase since your last examination." The technician commented amazed, "I've only seen these levels in the Ghost program."

Ghosts, the covert operations unit that specialized in espionage and covert assassinations. They were psionically gifted Terrans like telepaths, empaths, and seers. They had the ability to cloak themselves from detection, fire nuclear weapons at point blank range, and were silent and deadly as the grave.

Artimes knew she wasn't normal. Like others before her, she had gifts and abilities above and beyond the average human and it was a full time job hiding her true capabilities from the Confederate officials. She thanked God every day for Alan, a fellow psi that helped create a cover for her abilities. Her heart clenched painfully at his memory.

If her powers were discovered, she would be 'transferred' to the Ghost program like her parents and perhaps like them, she would never come back out alive. The Confederate scientists would use her like a lab rat, tinkering with a person's mind out of so-called 'scientific curiosity'. She would do everything in her power to remain hidden and honor Alan's memory and sacrifice.

Artimes gave the technician a warm smile.

"I didn't sleep well last night and my brain is working overtime to compensate for my insomnia. It's all in my medical file. It's not unusual for me to have spells like this before a mission." Artimes lied smoothly.

Lying came so easily when she had to cover up her abilities. You would think she would feel bad about it, but no, she had no qualms with it whatsoever. She had one hell of a poker face and was the queen at hiding her true emotions. Lucky for the technician, otherwise he would be lying in a pool of his own blood by now.

"I see. Understood, ma'am." The technician replied dropping the subject immediately.

Good God, how many times would he call her ma'am? Did she look old enough to be a ma'am? Irritating little cretin, she desperately wanted to pound his face in.

The rest of the examination and psych eval passed without incident. The technician gave her some privacy while she changed out of her uniform and into the cryostasis body suit. The suit regulated her body's internal functions and prevented her body from inadvertently shutting down or what she referred to as 'freezer burn'.

It was a liquid silver color and it went from her neck to her ankles, leaving her head, hands, and feet free from the annoying contraption. It acted like a second skin and left no room to the imagination as to what lay underneath. Whoever designed the body suits were extreme perverts who needed their groins pulverized.

The technician returned and led her to the cargo bay where the stasis pods were located. The marines and SCV pilots were already in cryostasis. Thank God for small favors. She didn't them gawking at her, the lechers.

Artimes looked around and noticed the severe lack of rations and supplies. From the looks of things, she and her escort would have to rely on Mother Nature and how giving a mood she was in. Once again, the Confederacy showed their overwhelming generosity. Artimes had half a mind to tell the Confederate brass to shove it up their asses, but there was no room because the sticks were already there.

"The stasis pod is ready for you, ma'am." The technician informed.

Artimes's eyebrow twitched for a moment. How many times was he going to call her ma'am in a single day? She quickly schooled her features and turned to face the pod.

Artimes gave the pod a once over and came to one conclusion that cryostasis was her own personal form of hell. It really did look like a coffin except with it being at an upwards diagonal rather than a straight horizontal. The bottom was grayish silver, what a shocker, with a transparent top that lowered down.

This was not Sleeping Beauty and she was not a princess. Nor did she have a handsome prince to give her the kiss of life. If anything went wrong while she was inside, she would be frozen in time unable to age or die. It was the worst form of life imaginable. She silently cursed the inventors of cryostasis. She absolutely loathed being turned into a meat popsicle.

"Make sure I wake up, 'kay?" She replied smiling despite her intense irritation.

The technician smiled back, his eyes slightly dilated from his lust which he was trying desperately to hide. Good God almighty, she was going to get groped while she slept; stupid perverts.

Artimes stepped gracefully into the pod and got comfortable. The transparent door slid close and the technician ran the final checks. Artimes closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable. The technician activated the stasis pod. She shivered slightly as the temperature dropped and her heartbeat began to slow down. She felt her mind become hazy and the darkness soon overtook her.

They say it's impossible to dream while in cryostasis, something about how all brain activity seems to cease while in suspended animation. They are full of bullshit. Artimes always dreamt while in stasis. Her dreams were vivid, incredibly detailed, and in vibrant technicolor. Sometimes it was hard for her to distinguish what was reality and what was a dream. They were that real.

Her dreams were filled with battles never fought, people she had never met, and strange insectoid like creatures destroying everything in their path. Artimes could never understand these dreams, but she knew they were important, like the universe was trying to tell her something.

Lately the dreams had been getting worse and she knew…she knew that something was coming…coming to tear the universe apart.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Mar Sara

Three Months Later

Artimes awoke in a deep fog. Her brain felt like a lead weight and her body ached all over from the cold. Her ears were ringing from the sounds of machinery and the technician's voice asking if she was awake. She opened her eyes slowly, letting her eyes adjust to the light. Why did she feel like she had just been hit by a battle cruiser?

The pod door slid open and the technician helped her out of the pod. She stumbled a bit and she held onto the side of the pod for dear life. Her legs felt like jelly and her body was stiff as a board.

"Careful, ma'am. You need to take it slow until your body is use to the gravity of the planet." The technician advised.

The hand cupping her backside did not go unnoticed as she finally got her bearings. Said hand disappeared quickly only to be placed low on her hip while guiding her to the infirmary. She wanted to break his neck, but she was still out of sorts from cryostasis, lucky bastard.

The technician conducted another medical examination and another psychological evaluation. He gave her a clean bill of health and she went to change out of the body suit. As her mind began to thaw out, she remembered what she had dreamt while in cryostasis.

A new face had appeared in her dreams. The face belonged to a handsome man riding on a vulture class attack vehicle. To Artimes, vultures were glorified bikes with attitudes which usually coincided with the personalities of their riders. She didn't know the man, but he seemed somehow familiar to her.

Artimes slipped into dark brown pants, a light beige button down shirt, a brown leather jacket, and dark brown boots. She rarely got to wear anything other than the Confederate's lame ass excuse of a uniform so she was going to milk it for what it's worth. She strapped on the holsters for her EPGs so that they rested on her mid thighs.

She grabbed her gear and put her pack on her back. She slipped on the gold chain around her neck and her ensemble was complete. She pressed a button on the wall's terminal to check for any further intel while she yawned widely.

"Adjutant Online. Good evening, Magistrate. I'll fill you in on what's been happening: Confederate traffic has increased substantially within the system due to the recent Protoss destruction of the Chau Sara Colony. The Confederates have tightened security on all outlying systems, and it's likely that this colony will be locked-down as well. An encrypted Confederate transmission came for you while you were in the infirmary. Replaying transmission:" The computerized female voice informed.

Artimes simply blinked owlishly at the screen. Chau Sara had been destroyed by the Protoss. She just couldn't muster up enough energy to be surprised that the Protoss had gotten involved with what was clearly the business of the Confederacy. Not like she cared in the first place. She just wanted to go back to sleep, preferably not in the ice box.

"Greetings, Magistrate. I'm General Edmund Duke of the Confederate Security Forces, Alpha Squadron. The Confederacy has quarantined this entire planet, and we'll proceed with the lock-down within 48 hours. You're to relocate your core colonists to the outlying wastelands. Now I know there won't be any problems with these new arrangements." General Duke informed.

'Forty-eight hours, huh? What a jackass.' She thought dryly.

"Transmission ended. I have contacted the local Marshal, James Raynor. Raynor has agreed to meet your personnel en route and escort them to the new wasteland site." The computerized female voice informed before the screen went blank.

Artimes yawned again. Good heavens, why was she so tired? She walked through the small passage ways and exited the small carrier and into the blinding light. She was nearly knocked off her feet by the blast of heat that accompanied the bright light of the outdoors.

"Out of the freezer and into the oven." She mumbled walking away from the carrier.

The SCVs and the marines had already unloaded the supplies and were waiting for her orders.

"Commander, drop zone is secure." One of the marines, Grayson, informed saluting.

The marines had learned long ago to never call her ma'am or face the consequences and shame of having a woman beat the hell out of them. She yawned again and patted Grayson's armored right shoulder. This earned a few chuckles from the remaining marines. It was obvious their commander was not all there. She hated cryostasis more than they did.

The loud roar and blast of air from the carrier taking off startled her slightly. She glanced back just in time to see the carrier break atmos. She sighed heavily and stretched her still aching muscles.

"What's our intel?" She asked blinking sleepily.

Masters stepped up and saluted. She waved him off in a rather bored and dismissive gesture. He ignored it and gave his report since he was long used to her relaxed behavior.

"The area is uninhabited. We will have to walk two cliques to the South before we reach the colony. Captain Jim Raynor, the marshal of the area, will meet us half way in the middle of the ravine and guide us the rest of the way." He reported.

Artimes checked her holsters and did a quick once over on her EPGs. Energy Pulse hand guns fired compressed energy rounds at high velocity and inflicted severe damage to anything in their path.

She smirked slightly. They were her own design and the Confederates were still trying to duplicate them from the schematics she gave them. She had failed to mention that the compression rate varied depending on the size and build of the person firing. The things she does to piss off the Confederacy always brings a smirk to her face.

"Alrighty then. Let's get moving. Don't be needin' to waste any more daylight yappin' like those Confederate dogs." She ordered her smirk widening.

Her deliberately slurred speech lightened the mood considerably. They headed South and it wasn't too long before one of the SCV pilots started complaining.

"I can't believe they sent us to the wasteland. Those Confederates think they can push anyone around." The pilot complained.

"Better here than those torture chambers they call stasis pods." Artimes countered.

The pilot shuddered a bit. Artimes resisted the urge to smirk. Cryostasis was far worse than the fringe world they were traversing.

"I hate those things." He replied after a moment.

"Me too, but they're a necessary evil, so just count your blessings that you're awake." Artimes commented smiling slightly.

The pilot smiled and followed her. About an hour and a half later, they entered the ravine Masters told her about. Even with her fatigue, Artimes's senses jumped off the charts. Something was in the ravine and it wasn't friendly.

"Stay on your guard. I don't want to be taken by surprise." Artimes ordered scanning the cliffs and expanding her senses.

"Yes Commander!" The marines replied taking up a defensive formation.

They continued their journey in silence waiting for the other shoe to drop. The commander had always been spot on when it came to trouble. The marines had a pretty good assumption as to why that was, but they all swore a vow to keep her secret even if she didn't know that they knew. They were that loyal to her. To them, she was more than their commander, she was family. Whether she was aware of it or not, she was the heart of their unit and they would gladly sacrifice everything to keep her safe.

After a few minutes, Artimes's abilities kicked into action again. Her telepathy was picking up something nearby. Unfortunately, whatever it was, was entirely jumbled due to her extreme fatigue. The only conclusion that her tired brain could come up with was that the cryostasis had taken more out of her than she thought.

Finally they rounded a bend in the ravine. Sitting in the middle of the path was a vulture class attack vehicle with green markings. Artimes nearly gasped when she saw the man who straddled said vulture. The rider was none other than the man she had seen recently in her dreams. She approached him warily, uncertain of how events would play out.

"Name's Jim Raynor, Marshal of these parts." He introduced.

'Damn, she's hot. Is she some sort of medic or perhaps the in transit entertainment? Wonder where the magistrate is?' Jim thought.

Were all men thinking with their pants rather than their brains?

"Commander Artimes Blaine, Chief Magistrate of Mar Sara Colony." She replied smiling slightly at his shocked response.

'A woman?' Jim thought, 'What the hell were the Confederates thinking sending a hot babe like her out in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of _male_ soldiers to guard her? That's not asking for trouble, that's demanding it.'

"Got your refugees tucked up nice and tight at the other end of the ravine." Jim informed trying to cover up the fact that he was checking her out.

Artimes was trying desperately _not_ to push him of that oversized motorcycle and onto his obnoxious ass, but her senses picked up something behind him before she could act on her temper.

"Excellent…oh and duck."Artimes ordered.

She pulled the right EPG from its holster and aimed at his head. He ducked just as an insectoid like creature lunged. She fired the EPG and blew off its head. Its body landed with a thud.

'Damn, that was close. How did she know and what the hell did she use to kill it? Its head is completely gone like it was vaporized.' Jim thought glancing over at the now dead creature that wanted his head for lunch.

Artimes smirked slightly as she holstered her weapon.

'There's definitely more to this woman than meets the eye. This could be interesting. Damn, she's good.' Jim thought his eyes returning to the woman on his mind.

"Perhaps we should get moving before any more _guests_ arrive uninvited?" Artimes suggested a smirk on her lips and mischief dancing in her eyes.

Jim smiled.

"I'll drive, you shoot." Jim replied gesturing for her to get on behind him.

That surprised her, but she didn't argue. She straddled the vulture and had to bite her tongue. The marshal was hiding one hell of body. She immediately shoved her immediate physical attraction to him aside. There wasn't time for such nonsense.

"Hang on tight now." He commented smiling even wider.

"Stay here until I give the all clear." Artimes ordered the others who nodded in understanding.

Jim revved the engine, the back tire spun as the vulture swerved, pointing Southward. He lifted the front tire off the ground as they sped forward. Their acceleration increased once they were back on two wheels. Artimes accidently let out a small giggle at the maneuver.

'She's easy to impress.' Jim thought in mild disappointment.

Artimes scowled at his back. That put an end to her good mood. She pulled both her EPGs from their holsters, a look of determination on her face. She expanded her senses and she got a good read of what was coming.

"We've got incoming. Two to the left and four to the right." Artimes informed.

"I don't see anything." Jim said scanning the area as they continued forward.

"Trust me, you will." Artimes replied raising her weapons in preparation.

The creatures jumped out of the ground and charged at the vulture. Artimes fired her weapons with deadly precision, each shot a solid hit.

'Holy shit! She didn't miss a single one. Hot damn, she's good. Remind me never to piss her off.' Jim thought clearly impressed.

Artimes smiled slightly. It seemed she had earned some respect from the wayward marshal. Her head snapped up as she sensed something straight ahead. She scooted closer to him and she ignored the brief but provocative image that flashed through Jim's mind.

"Keep your eyes open, Marshal. There's something directly ahead of us." She warned.

'How could she know that? Is she psychic?' Jim thought.

Artimes stiffened slightly and directed her weapons in front of the vulture, one arm on either side of Jim's head. Three more creatures emerged from the ground in front them. Artimes took out two and Jim got the third with the vulture's weapon system.

They continued forward until they reached the encampment. They hadn't run into anymore of those creatures, but Artimes couldn't rule out the possibility that there might be more in the area. She dismounted the vulture once they came to a stop and holstered her weapons.

"May I?" She asked gesturing to the comm system on the vulture.

"Certainly." Jim answered.

She ignored Jim's perverted thoughts as she leaned down and activated the comm unit.

"All clear, but stay frosty. We don't know if anymore of those creatures are out there." Artimes ordered her unit.

"Yes, Commander. Eta: one hour." Grayson replied.

"Roger that. Blaine out." Artimes answered deactivating the comm unit.

She stood back up and leaned a hip against the vulture. An image flashed in her mind from Jim's thoughts. It was rather provocative and in it she was somehow pinned to the vulture with him on top of her while doing 'extracurricular activities'. Did this man ever get his mind out of the gutter? What was she thinking? He was a man, wasn't he? She ignored it and went on.

"We work well together, Marshal." She commented smirking slightly.

"Yes we do." He replied.

'Understatement of the year. We work perfectly together. I've never been so in sync with someone before. If she wasn't so hot, I wouldn't get so distracted.' Jim thought humor embedded in his last statement.

Artimes was trying very hard not to smile.

"I hope I can depend on you to help me keep the colonists safe." She continued.

"Of course." He replied giving her understanding smile.

'Damn, she's beautiful. Whoa there cowboy. Stay focused. There's no way she would go for fringe worlder like me. I'll settle for protecting her, but there's no shame in looking, right?' Jim thought immediately dismissing himself of being worthy of her.

Artimes's eyes softened. He may be a man, but he was gentleman. The attraction she felt for him seemed to intensify. There was something about him that drew her to him. She decided that she was going to have a little fun at his expense. She leaned in close, her face close to his. Her eyes took on almost smoldering look as she stared into his green eyes.

'Stay calm. Stay calm. Don't move. If you move any closer, you'll kiss her. Don't move. Breathe, damn it.' Jim thought frantically as his heartbeat accelerated.

Artimes smiled inwardly. He could be so cute.

"I'm not like the Confederates. My first priority is to protect my people. I need to know that you'll be there when I need you." Artimes commented leaning slightly closer.

'I'll be there. I'll always be there. I'll always be there for her.' Jim thought his brain trying to form coherent thoughts.

"Of course I'll be there. Whatever you need, I'm your man." Jim replied his thoughts finally sorting out enough to reply.

Artimes straightened up and smiled. She had learned something very important about Jim Raynor; he was loyal to a fault and very honorable. Mischief danced in her eyes as she came up with an idea. Jim looked very surprised and intently curious.

"What?" He asked a smile starting to form on his lips.

"Well I do need something." Artimes started her smile growing wider.

"What is it?" He asked his curiosity raging beyond his control.

"A second in command. Someone who knows the area, has combat experience, has a working relationship with the colonists, and who isn't afraid to offer advice and guidance." Artimes finished, "Know anyone who fits the bill?"

"In fact, I do. When do I start?" He answered chuckling a bit.

Artimes smiled widely. So Jim Raynor was handsome, loyal, honorable, slightly perverted, and had good sense of humor. This should prove entertaining.

"Right now." She replied matter-of-factly.

Jim smiled. Artimes and Jim spent the next hour talking about the area, mineral deposits, geography, current status of military personnel, their general dislike of the Confederacy, and the current morale of the colonists. Artimes was simply amazed at Jim's wealth of knowledge. He certainly did know how to surprise her and she felt her respect for him rise with every passing minute.

She had never met anyone like Jim on Tarsonis. He made her laugh and no man alive could boast that he did until Jim. Not even Alan had made her feel this good. Jim made her feel wanted and needed which was strange, because she had never felt that way before.

She and Jim just sort of fitted together, but there was something she could never tell him, her powers. If it got back to the Confederacy then she would be forced into the Ghost program faster than she could blink, but a part of her trusted Jim. She had only known him for a short time and yet it felt like they had known each other for years. She had to bite her tongue in order to _not_ confide in him about her powers. He was just so easy to talk to.

Finally her unit showed up and she started barking orders like the professional she was.

"SCV one get started on the repairs. SCV two start mining the mineral deposits. Grayson, you and the others head over to the barracks and hook up with the Mar Sara militia. Initiate defense plan delta. Marshal, bring the colony's council to the conference room in the Command Center. I need to address their concerns. You have your orders, move out!" She ordered making her way over to the Command Center.

Two hours later in the conference room of the Command Center…

Artimes met with the council members and outlined everything that was being done; defense plans, supplies, and the relocation were major points.

"I'll try to keep you in the loop as much as possible, but in combat situations, I ask that you defer to my judgment and that of Marshal Raynor. My number one priority is the safety of every last man, woman, and child. Please come to me with any concerns you may have, no matter how little or insignificant they might appear to be. What matters to you, matters to me. I promise to keep you safe or die trying." Artimes vowed.

The council members exchanged glances before nodding.

"We thank you for your help and we will remember what you have said." The head councilman replied.

The council members left and Artimes collapsed into a chair. She rubbed her temples with her fingers. She felt so numb and cold. Why the hell was it so freaking chilly in there? Jim knelt down next to her and placed a hand on her knee. Her hands dropped to the armrests as she looked at him, her eyes slightly unfocused.

"You look exhausted." Jim commented giving her a soft smile.

She chuckled slightly.

"I am, but there isn't time. I need to win their trust, keep them calm, relocate them to MS 1, and defend them from hostile critters who want to eat them for lunch. No time to rest." Artimes replied smiling weakly.

"Do you always do this?" Jim asked slightly worried.

"Do what?" She asked confused.

"Put the entire world on your shoulders." Jim stated.

Artimes's eyes narrowed. She couldn't believe she was hearing this…from Jim of all people! She stood up quickly, her eyes going out of focus, but she stayed up.

"If you think I can't do this then say so." Artimes snapped her usual control waning, allowing her anger to shine through.

Jim stood and looked her in the eyes. She tried desperately to read his thoughts, but her mind was far too numb and it was making her light-headed.

"You can, but you don't have to. At least not alone anyways." Jim replied his arms slightly raised in case he needed to steady her.

"I am the Chief Magistrate of this colony, _Marshal_, and I have responsibilities, duties to perform." Artimes stated with authority.

Jim flinched slightly, but recovered quickly. He was beginning to realize that he did not like being on the receiving end of her anger.

"I know, but you're not alone. Let me help you." He said softly, his eyes shining with worry.

"Help me, you say. Not alone, you say. I'm always alone. I don't have anyone. No friends, no family. My parents died while in the Ghost program and Alan died while trying to protect me. I'm all I've got." She admitted accidentally.

He had no idea who Alan was, but he was obviously important to her. Those Confederate bastards took away everyone she cared for and left her alone. Jim made a silent vow that he would always be by her side, whether she liked it or not.

Artimes looked away from his determined gaze, but that simple action cost her. Her head began to spin and the darkness began to overtake her vision. She crumpled and Jim barely caught her before she hit the floor.

"Artimes, are you alright?" He asked worried.

He didn't have time to examine the feeling he got when he said her name for the first time.

"I'm cold." She whispered barely clinging to consciousness.

Jim checked her forehead. She was burning hotter than a wraith's thruster. Her skin was pale and her cheeks were flushed. She was sick, very sick. Damn, how did he miss it until now? He lifted her into his arms and she groaned in protest. He left the conference room and walked as quickly as he could to the medical ward. She was slipping in and out of consciousness. He laid her down on one of the bio beds and she grasped his shirt. Her eyes were barely open and her breathing was shallow.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you." She whispered.

"You didn't. I'm perfectly fine. Get some rest." He answered his tone soft and full of warmth.

"Thank you for catching me." She mumbled as she fell asleep, her hand slipping from his shirt.

'I'll always be there to catch you. I promise.' Jim thought brushing the hair out her eyes.

The doctor walked over to them and quickly activated the scanner. After a few sweeps, Jim couldn't handle the silence.

"What's wrong with her?" Jim asked practically biting the doctor's head off.

"Judging from the scans, it's cryotoxicemia. It's a chemical imbalance in the body brought on by high levels of radiation during cryostasis. It's a miracle she was able to stay conscious as long as she did. She'll need time to recover." The doctor informed.

"Treatment?" Jim asked impatiently.

"Rest and a lot of it. One week minimum of absolute bed rest. No stress, no work, no strain." The doctor answered frowning slightly at the readings he was getting from the scanner.

"Alright. Move her to her quarters as soon as possible. I'll take command until she has recovered." Jim ordered giving Artimes one final glance before turning to leave.

"Will do." The doctor answered automatically, his mind solely focused on the high levels of activity in her brain.

Jim left the medical ward and walked back to the conference room. He slumped into a chair at the far end, his mind recalling everything she had said.

"She's alone. The Confederates took away her parents and her friend. Now she has no one. Damn it, I can't let that stand." Jim spoke aloud, his face in his hands.

He stood up and looked at the holoscreen. Artimes's outline was still pulled up. Jim read through it again and had to be impressed. The woman had left nothing to chance, she was concise and to the point. Every detail was seen and explained. Jim had to admit that she was brilliant, but boy was she hardheaded.

"How can a woman be this brilliant and be so incredibly stubborn at the same time?" Jim commented bewildered.

"It takes practice." A woman replied her voice laced with amusement.

Jim turned to the speaker. It was Stephanie Aldarin, a member of the colony's council.

"Madam council, what can I do for you?" Jim asked switching to professional mode.

"I wish to talk more with the Magistrate. Could you arrange it?" She asked.

"Unfortunately I can't. The Magistrate has fallen ill. I'll be in charge while she is recovering." Jim informed.

"What's wrong with her?" She asked instantly worried.

"Cryotoxicemia." He answered, "I'll need the help of the council to maintain stability until she is fully recovered."

"Don't worry, Marshal Raynor. I and the other council members have faith in the Magistrate and we will support her and you." She replied turning to leave, "I'll inform the others about the Magistrate."

"Thank you." Jim said nodding his thanks.

Aldarin nodded and left the room. Jim looked at the outline once more and just shook his head.

"You think you're alone, Artimes, but the truth is, you have many friends." Jim said quietly.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Four days later…

Artimes awoke in her quarters. She had no idea how she got there, but she did have the vague impression of someone carrying her. She shook her head and got out of bed. She stretched her body experimentally, testing each muscle and popping a few times. She felt great. She hadn't slept that well since…her face fell. She hadn't slept very well since Alan died.

She walked to the bathroom and quickly got in the shower. She remembered his short, golden blonde hair and deep blue eyes. She remembered how he would only smile for her and was always so kind. He was an empath, a person capable of feeling another's emotions, but his power went beyond that. He could actually manipulate, to an extent, a person's emotions.

Funny thing was, his power never worked on her and that was one of the many reasons why he liked her. He could be himself when he was around her, not having to worry about feeling every emotion that ran through her. He said he found her fascinating and intriguing. He was her closest, dearest, and really her only friend. Sure, they had been lovers, but that only seemed to deepen their friendship. It never actually developed into anything more.

She missed Alan terribly and she never had the chance to get to know her parents. They had been forced into the Ghost program when she was three years old. She had always been on her own, but now she had one Jim Raynor stirring things up. She wasn't sure what to do about him. She had never been so comfortable with anyone before, not even Alan had this level of familiarity with her. Could she truly trust Jim? Could she let him in? She honestly didn't have an answer.

She exited the shower and dried off. She got dressed in a snug, white short sleeved shirt and blue jean shorts. She put the gold chain around her neck and slid it under her shirt. It was soon accompanied by her dog tags but they stayed on top. She slipped on a pair of white and gray tennis shoes. It was only when she left the room that she realized she didn't have any dreams while she slept. It was quite the reprieve really.

She made her way down the hall towards the Command Core, but then her stomach growled loudly, demanding to be appeased. She redirected herself towards the mess hall, practically skipping as she went. Upon arrival, she noticed it was pretty empty. Well it was empty except for Jim. She grabbed a tray and piled it full of food. She grabbed a bottle of tea and made her way over to him.

He was currently drinking a cup of coffee and reading a holopad. The dark circles under his eyes told her that he was exhausted and probably hadn't slept in a while. She sat down in front of him and began eating. He didn't seem to notice her until she was done eating. He looked up from the holopad as he set his coffee down and his eyes went wide from shock. Artimes smiled softly.

"You look tired." Artimes commented stating the obvious.

Jim rubbed his eyes and looked at her again.

'It's only been four days. What the hell is she doing out of bed?' Jim thought as he blinked a few times.

"You should be in bed. The doctor said one week of absolute bed rest." Jim informed.

"I feel fine. I was hungry so I ate something. I'll visit the doc after I finish my tea." Artimes replied opening said tea and taking a swallow, "So what are you reading?"

"Oh no, doc said no work, no stress, and no strain." Jim answered moving the holopad away.

She took another swallow and snatched the holopad from him easily. Poor guy was so tired he couldn't keep up with her reflexes.

"Artimes!" He exclaimed trying to get the holopad back.

Artimes felt a warm, tingly sensation run through her entire body when he said her name.

"Yes Jim?" She asked feeling a similar sensation when said his first name for the first time ever.

Jim went shock still for a moment in complete surprise.

'That's the first time she called me Jim. Why does it feel like almost a sin when she said it? She just said my name with those beautiful lips and I can't help but feel turned on.' Jim thought relaxing back into his seat.

She blushed slightly. The man was exhausted and yet he still found her beautiful.

'She's even more beautiful when she blushes. It has got to be illegal for someone to look as incredible as she does.' Jim thought taking note of her blush.

Her cheeks burned as her blush extended.

"You're not supposed to do any work and you're not going to until you get a clean bill of health from the doc, understand?" He said reaching across the table and plucking the holopad from her hand.

Their fingers touched for a moment and Artimes felt like she had been electrocuted. Her body was still tingly from the brief contact. What the hell was happening to her? Okay, she was pretty certain that she was physically attracted to Jim, but she had never felt such intensity before; not with Alan, not with anyone. She had no idea how to even begin to comprehend what was going on.

In an effort to regain her sanity, she quickly chugged the remainder of her tea and stood up. She then turned to leave when Jim grasped her arm gently. She looked up at him confused.

'I could really drown in those eyes. They're like liquid moonlight.' Jim thought.

"What is it, Jim?" She asked the electrical current amping up a notch from their physical contact.

"I'll walk you to the medical ward." He stated looping his arm with hers.

"I'm not going to faint, Jim." She complained scowling at him.

"Humor me." Jim replied guiding her down the hallway.

It was obvious that Artimes would not be able to convince Jim to let her go, so she conceded defeat, but only this once.

"Fine." She stated sulking a bit.

Jim chuckled which earned him a heated glare from a certain irate commander. They finally made it to the medical ward. Artimes quickly detached herself from Jim and sat on one of the bio beds. The doctor walked over to them and his eyes grew wide as saucers when he saw the commander.

"Magistrate, I'm surprised to see you up and around so soon. How are you feeling?" He asked beginning his examination as soon as she lay back on the bed.

"I feel fine, Doctor…?" She started realizing she doesn't know his name.

"Tucker, Charles Tucker. Any dizziness, nausea, fever, difficulties breathing, fatigue, or pain?" He asked while activating the scanner.

After a few sweeps, she finally answered.

"No, no, no, no, no, and no. I feel absolutely fine. I was hungry, but I took care of that in the mess hall." She answered winking at Jim.

She really hated doctors. They sounded too much like those damn Confederate scientists. A ghost of a smirk appeared on Tucker's face for a moment.

"The level of activity in your brain is astonishing to say the least. These are easily five times higher than that of the average ghost." Tucker commented eyes glued to the screen.

Artimes internally cringed. She wasn't expecting them to be that high. Something must have affected her mind while she was asleep. There's no way she could cover it up. A sense of dread filled her entire being. She was going to become a ghost or worse a specter.

'She has nothing to worry about. I will never reveal her psionic abilities. No one deserves to be tortured like that. I have to admit that she is truly remarkable. She kept her powers hidden for so long yet I can tell that she has been training with them, actively using them. Who knew that a natural psi could be this powerful? I'll have to run more scans to make certain her abilities won't recoil on her and harm her.' Tucker thought initiating a deeper scan.

Artimes raised an eyebrow and gave Tucker a curious look. She wasn't really expecting him to keep her secret, but she didn't trust him either.

"Is that normal, doc?" Jim asked.

Artimes could the worry for her pulsing off Jim in waves. Did he actually care? Perhaps she'd have to rethink her stance on friendship.

"It's fine. Cryotoxicemia can sometimes cause heightened brain activity for an extended period of time. It's nothing to worry about." Tucker answered smiling at Jim.

Tucker had just flat out lied to Jim about the scans. What the hell was his angle?

'Thank God or whatever higher power is out there. Last thing she needs is for those Confederate assholes to rip away her freedom and lock her away in their ghost program. They'd have to do it over my dead body. She lost everything else. I'll keep her free, no matter the cost. I'll never let the Confederacy hurt her again. I swear it.' Jim thought giving the doctor a nod.

Artimes could only stare at the floor, her long braid over her right shoulder, blocking her face from view. Her eyes were wide and filled with surprise. She couldn't believe or understand the strength and conviction of Jim's thoughts. Did he really care that much after knowing her for such a short time? An image of Alan flashed in her mind. No, he wasn't Alan. He was Jim. Maybe, just maybe she could truly trust him.

Tucker smiled as his eyes softened when glanced at the Magistrate.

'She has no idea the kind of effect she has on people. The council has been talking up a storm about the brave, new commander. The entire colony already respects her and even admires her and she has only been conscious for a few hours at most. She's proving medical science wrong by being completely healthy after an almost lethal dosage of radiation while in cryostasis. She's probably pissed off the Confederacy more times than she can count and every last person here would follow her anywhere. If what I heard from the marines that she arrived with is correct than she has no idea that she is the heart and soul of their unit and now the colony. It's simply staggering.' Tucker thought while perusing the scanner's latest results.

Staggering was right. Did she really affect people like that? Aside from her psionic abilities, she wasn't all that special, was she? Her mind could not grasp the concept. It seemed so foreign to her.

"If you don't mind, Marshal. I need to finish my examination and I seriously doubt that the Magistrate wants an audience when she removes her clothes." Tucker commented.

Artimes blushed slightly and look towards the wall.

'I wouldn't mind seeing her naked. I would love to see the entire package of this beautiful goddess, but she's already self-conscious as it is with the doctor. Oh well, I can always dream.' Jim thought humor and disappointment in every word.

"Of course. I'll be back later." Jim said quickly leaving the medical ward.

Artimes so wanted to punch Jim. Who knew he had such a dirty mind? Oh wait, she did from the moment she met him. Tucker chuckled softly. She glanced over at the doctor and saw his humor.

'If he only knew that there two telepaths in the room then he wouldn't be so keen to broadcast his thoughts so loudly.' Tucker thought looking straight at her.

Artimes eyes narrowed, her eyes taking on a dangerous gleam.

'Two telepaths?' She thought.

'You and I, of course.' He answered smiling slightly.

Artimes's eyes widened. How the hell did she not sense him? She immediately placed her hand on her right EPG. Tucker raised his hands in defeat.

'It's alright, Magistrate. I have no intention of telling anyone; not the Marshal, not the council, and certainly not the Confederates. I mean you know harm.' He said quickly.

Her eyes narrowed again and her grip on the EPG tightened.

'And why not?' She asked clearly on edge.

He put his hands down slowly.

'Because contrary to popular belief, Commander, there are still people who do the right thing. I know what they do to people like us and I made a vow long ago to help those of our kind remain hidden. I'm only a low level telepath, but my gift allows me to identify others of our kind and communicate with them. There are others here in the colony that have special gifts as well, so you are not alone. They will make themselves known to you when they feel comfortable to do so. I know it's a lot to ask, but please trust me.' He answered his eyes never wavering from hers.

She could detect no lie in his eyes. He meant every word. Her hand lingered a moment longer on her EPG. She came to her decision and removed her hand from the weapon and crossed her arms.

'You never needed me to take off my clothes, did you?' She asked giving him a pointed glare.

Tucker chuckled softly and took it as sign that she was trusting him with her secret.

'No, but it did grant us a moment alone and a reprieve from the Marshal's more provocative thoughts.' He answered waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Artimes blushed slightly at the insinuation. She scowled at him. Stupid doctors, why couldn't they come up with a better excuse than clothing removal? Tucker couldn't contain his laughter and she sent him a heated glare. Suddenly, images were floating through her mind. They were coming from Jim. He was within hearing distance now and it wouldn't be too long before he arrived.

"So, am I fit for duty?" She spoke aloud.

"Yes, you're in excellent condition. I would have liked to examine you further physically. Perhaps we could continue the _examination_ in your quarters this evening?" He asked giving her a seductive grin.

She inwardly rolled her eyes at the perverted doctor. He was hitting on her deliberately because a certain marshal was within hearing distance of their conversation. Jim walked in albeit slowly.

"Maybe." She answered her tone like a seductive purr.

In for a penny, in for a pound. Might as well have some fun at Jim's expense…again. Jim walked over to them and sent the doctor a warning look that pretty much said 'back off'.

"Well?" He asked curtly.

Artimes bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"She's perfectly fine, Marshal. Quite limber actually." Tucker said flashing a smile at the amused commander.

'What the hell does that mean? He better not have gotten frisky with her? And what sort of exam will he be conducting in her quarters? If he so much as even thinks of touching her inappropriately, I'll break his damn hands.' Jim thought slightly agitated and a little jealous.

Artimes was trying very hard not to erupt into a fit of laughter. She couldn't believe his overly jealous thoughts. Men and their egos make for the best entertainment. Now where was her popcorn and soda?

"Thanks Tucker. Shall we go, Jimmy?" She asked giving a polite nod to the doctor and smiling at Jim.

'Ha. She called him by his last name, but she called me Jimmy. It's obvious she likes me more than him. What am I saying? I'm her second in command and her friend. Nothing more, nothing less. It doesn't matter who she does it with it. She's not mine. She has her own heart and her own mind, but still…it would be nice to know if she was a least attracted to me a little.' Jim thought as they left the medical ward.

They headed towards the core of the Command Center also known as the Command Core.

"So what's the doc going to do in your quarters?" Jim asked his curiosity getting the better of him.

Artimes smiled softly and giggled.

'Oh no, don't tell she's going to do it with that perverted bastard?!' Jim thought frantically.

She decided to take pity on the captain. Poor guy was going to have a heart attack at this rate.

"He's going to bring by the test results and make certain he didn't miss anything. He wanted to do it in my quarters because I personally don't like the medical ward. It reminds me too much of laboratory for my tastes. Also you have nothing to worry about Jim. I will never sleep with that lecher. Sure, he's fun to hang around, but he's not my type." She answered giving him a warm smile.

'Dodge a bullet on that one, but what is her type?' He thought as they went down another hallway.

Jim was proving to be a rather interesting fellow in her opinion.

"Hey now, I didn't say that you were going to, but what you do in your off hours is none of my business." Jim commented.

Artimes chuckled and he gave her an odd look.

"Haven't you heard, Jimmy?" She asked smirking slightly.

"What?" He answered his own smile coming into place.

"I'm never off duty." She stated smiling widely.

He scowled at her as they entered the Command Core. She grabbed the comm gear and placed it on her head. She sat down in the command chair and it slid forward to the terminal.

Four square screens lowered from the ceiling and just above eye level. Four rectangular screens rose from within the terminal itself. The far left showed the map of known areas, the middle left was the current status of all structures, the middle right was a list of all personnel and current levels up supplies and power, and the far right screen was the login portal for the computer's database.

"Adjutant online. Welcome Commander." A computerized female voice stated as the computer's AI, Sara, appeared on the upper right screen.

"Hello Sara. Transfer all status reports to a holopad. Have 2 SCVs gear up and prepare for departure." Artimes ordered.

"What do you have in mind?" Jim asked leaning on the Command Chair.

"I was out for four days. At least you could have done was get some scouting done." She chastised playfully.

'Sorry. The fire extinguishing system in depot one is on the fritz. The environmental controls in depot two went haywire. I recruited over two dozen men into the marines. Half the systems went down in the Command Center for thirty-six hours. Oh and the Chief Magistrate was unconscious from cryotoxicemia and I had to carry her to the medical ward. Not to mention, I was worried sick about her that I haven't slept in days.' Jim thought listing off everything that happened.

"My plate has been pretty full." He replied rubbing his eyes.

Her eyes softened. He had been worried about her and he lost sleep because of it. He really did care.

"Get some sleep, Jim. I'll take it from here." She ordered.

"But…" He started.

"No buts. If you don't get some sleep, I really will go and sleep with that horny doctor." She threatened her eyes full of mischief.

Jim leaned down, his face close to hers. She looked him in the eyes and he called her bluff.

"No, you wouldn't. you have too much self-respect for that." Jim stated giving her a small smirk.

Artimes chuckled and kissed his cheek. His eyes widened in surprise.

"You're right, but you're still fair game." She replied winking.

Several thoughts and images went flying through his mind, all of them perverted.

"That's if I let you, darling." He countered straightening up.

Her silver eyes sparkled with amusement. Jim was quite the character.

'Damn, she has gorgeous eyes. I've never seen eyes like hers. They're like liquid moonlight. I think I'll go to bed before I stick my foot in my mouth.' Jim thought.

"Good night, Jim. Pleasant dreams." She said smiling softly.

'They'll be pleasant alright. They'll be about you.' Jim thought smirking slightly as he left.

He called out a good night before disappearing around the corner. Artimes giggled profusely. She'll admit it, she like Jim. His mind was permanently attached to the gutter, but he was very funny and fun to tease. Once she got her laughter under control, she got down to business.

She tapped the comm gear once and said, "Grayson."

She began accessing an enhanced version of the map and solidified her scouting plans. She tapped a few more keys on the terminal to bring up the information she needed.

"Yes Commander?" Grayson asked over the comm.

"Take five marines and head Northwest. Clear out any critters in the area." She ordered.

"Will do, Commander, and welcome back." He replied.

"Thank you. Now move out. I want you back ASAP." She said her tone humorous.

"Roger that." He replied deactivating his comm.

She tapped the comm again and said, "Carter."

"Commander Blaine, voice of a nightingale. I'm sure glad to be hearing your beautiful voice again." Carter praised.

Artimes rolled her eyes. She could always count on Carter to be over the top with flattery or some insane form of humor. He was definitely the comedian of her unit.

"Thanks, Carter. Take four marines and two SCVs to the Northeast. Rumor has it, there is a second batch of minerals out there along with a few of those creepy critters we love so much. Take care of the natives and set up a Command Center near the mineral deposit." She ordered rubbing her temples.

"Your wish is my command, oh great and powerful and beautiful and…" He started.

She turned off her comm gear with an exasperated sigh. Will Carter ever learn? That's like asking the Confederacy brass to give up their stripes and join the church. It's never going to happen.

Artimes proceeded to go over reports, fix computer glitches, and finalize Sara's portable AI core. Several hours later, Artimes was in the second supply depot trying to fix the environmental controls. She was currently laying on her back under said control terminal sorting through wires.

"Magistrate?" Tucker called his voice coming through her comm gear.

Artimes tapped the gear once, accepting the transmission.

"Blaine here. What's up, Doc?" She asked while splicing wires to reconnect the heating system to go around a glitch.

"I need to speak to you." He stated as she finished up with heating system.

"Can it wait? I'm in the middle of repairs." She replied moving on to the malfunction in the cooling system.

"It's about the scans I did earlier." He continued.

Her hand slipped and she got shocked.

"Bugger." She said sucking on her burnt finger.

"Magistrate?" Tucker asked.

"Yeah fine. I'm in the depot two, environmental station." She answered going back to her work.

The comm shut off and she finished her work. She slid the panel back in place just as she heard the doctor's footsteps. She sighed heavily and stood up. She started pressing buttons on the terminal.

'So what about the scans?' she thought as she started performing diagnostics.

'The cryotoxicemia you experienced substantially increased your powers.' He answered.

'You don't know that for certain.' She rebutted focusing on her work.

'But I do. I cross-referenced the scans with your medical file. You suffered from cryotoxicemia twice before and your brain activity increased. It's not going away either. It's permanent.' He countered.

Artimes gripped the terminal, her knuckles turning white from the pressure. The implications of the doctor's findings were astronomical.

'With these levels, you may have precognitive abilities as well.' He informed.

'You mean seeing the future? Get real, Doc!' She retorted.

'Not seeing the future, per se, but the most likely outcome. Those abilities would most likely manifest as dreams, but the point is, you can't return to Tarsonis. If you did, you would be discovered instantly. They would lock you in a laboratory and you'll never see the light of day again. They would do everything in their power to replicate your abilities. They would torture you if they had to.' Tucker explained.

If Artimes returned to Tarsonis then Alan's sacrifice would be in vain, but somewhere deep down, Artimes had the feeling that she wouldn't have to worry about that. Her mind filled with the dreams she had while in cryostasis. She heard Tucker gasp in shock.

'My God, is that what you see?' He asked his entire being filling with worry and panic.

'Calm down, Charles, but yes. If what you say is true about my abilities then I will not be returning to Tarsonis. Speak of this to no one. Last thing we need is to start a panic that could result in serious injuries.' She answered glancing back at him.

Tucker was clenching his fists and trying to regulate his breathing. He was forcing himself to return to a calm state of mind.

'Of course.' He said quietly, regaining control of himself.

She gave him a small smile of reassurance.

'Don't sweat it, Doc. I gave my word to the council that I'd keep everyone safe.' She reminded.

He placed a hand on her shoulder and she glanced up at him.

'We're in for a rough ride.' He commented.

Artimes chuckled softly.

'You know what I say to that? Bring it on, you sons of bitches!' Artimes retorted crossing her arms.

He removed his hand and looked at her like she was nuts before chuckling himself.

'You're crazy.' He commented smiling, shaking his head at her insanity.

'Maybe.' She replied giving him a mischievous grin.

Author's Rant

Lady A: Chapter One: Wastelands of the Heart of the Terran is complete!

Raynor: You are crazy.

Lady A: *chuckles softly* Maybe.

Artimes: So what's next?

Lady A: That will be Chapter Two: Backwater Station. Things get interesting between a certain marshal and commander. *her eyes holding a wicked gleam*

Raynor: She's as bad as you are!

Artimes: Well duh, I'm her OC, dimwit.

Raynor: Hey, I'm only dim when the lights are on. Turn them off and I'm electrifying.

Artimes: Am I supposed to be shocked senseless?

Raynor: I'll shock you anytime. *waggles eyebrows suggestively*

Artimes: Pervert.

Raynor: Vixen.

Lady A: Idiots.

Raynor and Artimes: Hey!

Lady A: Anyways review, my lovely readers. The more reviews, the more chapters

Mini Overmind: Review or be devoured by the Swarm.

Lady A: *kicks Mini Overmind far, far away* No threatening the readers, only the lawyers.


	2. Chapter 2: Backwater Station

Author's Rant

Lady A: Hey Everyone! Welcome to Chapter Two: Backwater Station! Also give a round of applause for my first reviewer, Izwan! Much love to you, my friend! This chapter is dedicated to you!

Raynor: You do realize that you are a review addict, right darling?

Lady A: Thank you, Captain Obvious. Reviews make the world go round and chapters done faster.

Kerrigan: I heard a rumor that this chapter holds a preview for Rise of the Protoss.

Lady A: Where did you hear that?

Artimes: *coughs*

Lady A: *glares at the Commander* You're not supposed to spill the beans to a telepath!

Artimes: *whistles innocently*

Raynor: What's this preview? What are you hiding?

Artimes and Kerrigan: *smiles widely and runs away*

Raynor: Get back here and tell me what's going on! *runs after them*

Lady A: *chuckles softly* Onward to Chapter Two: Backwater Station.

Disclaimer: I do not own Starcraft or anything else I make references to.

Mini Overmind: Go, my children, and destroy all lawyers with the wrath and fury of the Swarm.

Chapter Two: Backwater Station

Preparations for the relocation were completed by the end of the week. The Command Center and the barracks had then lifted from the ground with the help of anti-gravity generators and set into motion by a system of thrusters. It was a slow process moving buildings across such an arid terrain. Too much heat and the generators would short out, and send them plummeting to the ground as fast as gravity could take them.

There was no time to equip the supply depots with anti-gravity generators and had to be left behind. All supplies and equipment were stored in the Command Center. They had been airborne for two days and they still had a four day journey left until they reached MS1.

Artimes sat in the Command Chair typing on the terminal and keeping watch on the heat index of the anti-gravity generators. Jim joined her shortly.

"Got your refugees tucked in nice and tight. Provided we can side step anymore surprises from our Confederate friends and we can keep them away from those critters, they should have an easy time." Jim commented leaning on the Command Chair.

Artimes chuckled softly.

"That's if I can keep the anti-grav generators from overheating in this hot climate, prance around the moron that is General Duke, and make heads or tails of the new intel that I swiped from the Confederate's, sadly and dismally, unorganized database. I mean, seriously, do they even know how to use a keyboard?" Artimes countered smiling warmly at Jim.

"You little thief, so what's the new intel on these critters?" Jim asked returning the smile with one of his own.

"Sadly it isn't much, but I'll give you what I got so far." Artimes replied.

Artimes began typing on the keyboard, her fingers almost a blur. After a few more key strokes, the bottom far right screen lit up revealing an image of one the creatures they fought while at the wasteland site.

"They're calling them the Zerg. That little guy is called a Zergling. Their only offensive weapons are teeth and claws, but you and I know from experience that they have the ability to burrow underground to wait for their next meal. That part isn't in the database." Artimes informed rolling a blue stress ball in her hands.

"We can handle 'em just fine." Jim retorted cockily.

Artimes rolled her eyes before chuckling softly. Men and their egos will be the death of her through laughter.

"They can come at you in mass swarms and surround you easily. It's very similar to a pack mentality, but they are not the ones you need to worry about. It's their big brother, you should fear." Artimes continued.

"Alright then, show me big brother." Jim replied.

Artimes set down the ball for a moment and pulled up the next image. Jim whistled low as she picked up the ball and began rolling it in her hands once more.

'That thing is as tall as a fully armored marine!' Jim thoughts exclaimed.

Of all the things to worry about, he chose the height of the hostile alien creature to take notice of. Artimes had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.

"They're calling it a Hydralisk. It has the capability to attack both ground and aerial units. Although it does not have claws, it does spit acid which apparently does a number to metal and don't get me started on the damage it does to bare flesh. They move slower than Zerglings, but they deal more damage." She continued squeezing the ball before rolling in her hands once more.

"Let's hope they don't come from a large family." Jim commented dryly.

Artimes smiled slightly.

"Wouldn't know. The Confederate database is either put together by a toddler or deliberately confusing to prevent others from finding what they need or want. I did find some intel on one of the Zerg's buildings…" She started.

"Buildings?! These critters have buildings?!" Jim asked astonished.

Artimes simply shook her head at Jim.

"They're a hostile alien race and yet you can't seem to fathom the concept of them having buildings?" Artimes countered sarcastically.

"Have you met a Zerg that could talk?" Jim asked annoyed.

Artimes sighed heavily.

"Remembered when I mentioned the Zerglings' pack like mentality?" Artimes asked.

"So?" He replied.

"Something with great intelligence is driving the Zerg. It's likely to be some sort of collective consciousness or overmind and yes, Jim, they have buildings, but as I said I only have intel on one of them." Artimes explained while pulling up the next image.

"It almost looks alive." Jim commented leaning closer to the screen.

"That's because it is, Jim. It's a biological organism with a set function that it carries out." Artimes replied.

"What's its function?" Jim asked glancing back at her.

Artimes shrugged her shoulders.

"There was nothing in the database about what the building's function is, but there was a phrase connected to the intel." Artimes answered rolling the stress ball again.

"What phrase?" He asked.

"Purple ooze. That's it. No other intel whatsoever. This building doesn't even have name yet." Artimes answered.

"Purple ooze? What the hell does that mean?" Jim asked straightening up and crossing his arms.

"Your guess is as good as mine, but I need better intel if I am to combat these things. It's like the Confederacy wants us to be blind, deaf, and dumb." Artimes answered setting the ball back in her bag that was sitting next to the Command Chair.

"Yes, we know how generous the Confederacy is, now don't we darling?" Jim asked sarcastically, bringing his face within inches of hers.

"I'll say. They gave me and my unit to Mar Sara." Artimes answered kissing Jim's cheek.

Jim straightened up in an attempt to hide the slight blush on his cheeks.

"Their loss, our gain." He commented.

'Those idiots don't know what they gave up. In just one week of being here, she has the entire colony eating out of the palm of her hand and has a lock solid trust and respect from the entire militia. Those Confederate morons will rue the day that they let a gem like her slip away. She truly is an amazing woman.' Jim thought while leaning on the Command Chair once more.

Artimes blushed slightly and turned her eyes back to the terminal. She really wished Jim didn't compliment her so highly. She wasn't worthy of such praise…at least not yet, she wasn't. She decided to concentrate on something else. She spotted the current status of the anti-gravity generators.

"Sara, what's the current status of the anti-grav generators?" Artimes asked grabbing her comm gear and placing it on her head.

"Current heat index of the anti-gravity system at sixty-seven percent above normal." Sara informed.

"How long before the system reaches critical index?" Artimes asked.

"Nineteen hours and thirty-six minutes until heat index reached critical levels." Sara answered.

Artimes had an idea pop into her mind. If she remembered the geography of the area they were in correctly, they should be close to a nearby colony. Artimes began typing on the terminal, accessing the information she needed. She found what she was looking for and quickly calculated the variables for a pit stop. Once accomplished, she changed their course by a few degrees to get them in the general vicinity of the colony.

"What are you planning?" Jim asked curious.

"A two for one deal. With a slight deviation to our course, we can get in the ballpark of one Backwater Station, a small colony in the area. We can resupply and cool down the generators all in one go." Artimes answered smiling.

"Clever. What's our ETA?" He asked.

"We should be there no later than 0800 and it's still within tolerable index levels." Artimes answered.

Jim smiled widely at her.

'This woman really is brilliant. Then again I have been thinking that since day one. Beauty and brains, how'd I get so lucky?' Jim thought his smile becoming playful.

Artimes suppressed the urge to roll her eyes.

"How 'bout we grab some dinner?" Jim suggested as the Command Chair slid back.

Artimes opened her mouth to respond when her comm gear activated.

"Magistrate?" Aldarin called.

Artimes tapped the comm once as she stood, accepting the transmission.

"Councilwoman Aldarin, what can I do for you?" She asked coming to stand in front of Jim.

Jim raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as they left the Command Core.

"Stephanie. I know it's late but I have a slight problem." Stephanie answered her voice tinged with embarrassment.

"What sort of problem?" Artimes asked as they turned down another hallway.

"Well it's my daughter, Lily. She's…" Stephanie started.

Artimes stopped instantly and Jim followed suit, his face concerned.

"Is she alright? Is she hurt?" Artimes asked immediately worried.

"Oh no, no. My daughter isn't hurt. It's just…well it's embarrassing really. You see, she is refusing to go to sleep and is asking…well more like demanding to meet you and the marshal. She says she will not go to sleep until she does. I know it's silly, but could you spare a moment to come and meet her?" Stephanie asked hopeful.

Artimes couldn't help the smile slowly appearing on her face. Stephanie sounded a little desperate in her request and Artimes could just imagine what her daughter was like. Jim gave her an odd look and she just patted his chest. She spun on her heel and started walking in the opposite direction.

"I don't see why not. Jim and I will be down shortly." Artimes answered as Jim came up beside her.

"Thank you, Artimes. I'm sorry for the trouble…" Stephanie started.

Artimes chuckled softly.

"It's no trouble, Stephanie. I'm glad I can help and it isn't silly at all. I told you and the council before that what matters to you, matters to me, remember?" Artimes chided grinning.

"I remember. Thanks again." She replied relief evident in her voice.

"Blaine out." Artimes said as she deactivated the comm and handed it to Jim.

"So what's going on?" Jim asked placing the comm around his neck.

Artimes stopped at an intersection and looked slightly confused.

"Do you know how to get to the residential quarters from here, Jim?" She asked.

"Yeah it's this way." He said taking the right hallway.

She followed after him and chuckled softly.

"It seems one Lily Aldarin is refusing to go to sleep until she has the honor of meeting us." Artimes answered shaking her head at the thought.

Jim chuckled.

"Sounds like fun. Don't want to be disappointing the little lady now do we, darling?" Jim asked pausing long enough to offer his arm in a traditional fashion.

Artimes accepted his offer and entwined her arm and his.

"Certainly not." She answered smiling.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A few minutes later, the duo arrived at the Aldarins' quarters. The door slid open and a smiling Stephanie invited them in. They made their way to Lily's room and waited for Stephanie to announce them.

"Lily, someone is here to see you." Stephanie informed as Jim and Artimes entered the room.

A little girl with long, dark brown hair and bright blue eyes squealed happily and launched herself across the room. She wrapped her small arms around Artimes's leg. The Commander blinked owlishly. She was not expecting such a reaction at the first meeting.

"I'm glad you came, Auntie Artimes and you too, Uncle Jimmy!" Lily said excitedly while detaching herself from Artimes's leg to give Jim a quick hug.

Auntie? Artimes had never been an aunt and she held no blood relation to Lily. She looked at Jim in confusion. He chuckled softly as the little girl grabbed onto Artimes's hand and dragged her over to the bed.

"Will Auntie tell me a bedtime story?" Lily asked as she climbed onto the bed, clutching a purple stuffed animal with floppy ears to her chest.

Lily looked at Artimes expectantly, her eyes wide with anticipation and excitement. Artimes looked over at Jim, her eyes filled with uncertainty. Artimes didn't know how to tell a bedtime story. Her parents weren't exactly around to read to her, so her experience was lacking considerably. Jim sat in a chair on the opposite wall and motioned for her to try. She sat down on the bed and looked at Lily.

'Okay, so bedtime stories have princesses and stuff. Like knights fighting dragons and saving princesses, right?' Artimes thought frantically.

She didn't know any stories. Her mind came up with nothing…nothing but Alan. Alan? Maybe she could tell Lily about her past in the form of a fairy tale? It was worth a shot and she wouldn't have to make up anything. All she had to do was change the wording a bit.

"I do know one story." Artimes stated hesitantly.

Lily smiled widely and laid down on the bed. She waited patiently for Artimes to begin, her eyes filled with so much hope that Artimes prayed that she wouldn't mess this up.

'Aw crap, how do those stories start? Um…uh…shit.' Artimes thought biting her lip and glancing back at Stephanie, hoping to jar something loose in her memory.

'Once upon a time.' Stephanie thought a small knowing smile on her face.

Artimes's eyes filled with confusion. Stephanie placed her hand on her heart and tapped it. Artimes's eyes widened. It couldn't be, she couldn't be, was she? Stephanie nodded slightly and tapped her heart again.

'An empath! Stephanie is an empath! She felt my emotions and sensed my distress, but does she know I'm a telepath?' Artimes thought.

Stephanie's eyes took on a knowing look and she nodded once more. Artimes's eyes softened slightly when she saw no rejection in her eyes. Stephanie accepted her and trusted her. Artimes turned back to Lily, a new confidence in her eyes and a smile on her lips.

"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess who had very special powers." Artimes began.

"What kind of powers?" Lily asked curiously.

Artimes paused for a moment and decided to generalize her powers. There was no need to tell Lily, Jim, and Stephanie what she was capable of…even if it was a story.

"Powers that helped to protect her and her kingdom. Her story begins a long time ago when she was a very little girl. Her kingdom was attacked by evil monsters that came from the Dark Kingdom. They stole away the King and Queen." Artimes continued.

"But why would they take the king and queen? Why not the princess too?" Lily asked.

Artimes had to admit that the child was very perceptive.

"Because like the princess, her parents possessed special powers as well. The monsters wanted these powers for themselves. The king had the power to detect lies and only truth could be spoken while in his presence. The Queen had the power to see into a person's heart and help soothe away worry and fear. The monsters did not take the princess because they believed her to be powerless and helpless, so they left her alone." Artimes explained.

"Did her parents ever come home?" Lily asked.

Artimes didn't respond right away. Her eyes took on a distant look as she remembered the day her parents left to join the Ghost program.

'Please don't leave, Mommy! Daddy, I promise to be good. Please don't leave me all alone. I'm sorry! Please forgive me. Don't leave me! Mommy! Daddy!' Her child like voice ringing through her mind.

"Auntie?" Lily called tapping Artimes's hand to get her attention.

Artimes looked at Lily and gave her a small smile.

"The princess never saw the king or queen again. The monsters had devoured them. For many years, the princess was sad and blamed herself for what happened to her parents. She worked hard to keep the kingdom safe, but with every passing year, the loneliness inside her became deeper and deeper. In an attempt to appease her advisors, the princess visited a neighboring kingdom. It was on this visit that she met a brave and handsome knight. He had golden blonde hair and blue eyes so deep that it was like being in the ocean. The knight saw the deep sorrow and loneliness in the princess's eyes. On that very day, he made a vow to remain by her side and to keep her safe. Together they returned to her kingdom, a new light shining in her eyes." Artimes continued her heart clenching painfully.

She remembered Alan's stunned face when he realized that he couldn't feel her emotions nor could he control them. He had followed her around all day, trying to get to know her. When she had returned to headquarters, Alan had followed, requesting a transfer to serve as her second in command. It was shortly after that they shared their secrets with each other. They had been friends ever since. Artimes could feel all the pain that she had long buried away, rising to the surface. This was the story of her life and it was a difficult one to tell.

"Did the princess and the knight fall in love?" Lily asked excitedly.

Artimes had wondered that herself, but the truth was, the love she and Alan had for each other went beyond words, but it was not a romantic love. It was deeper than friendship, transcended companionship, and even held its moments of physical love, but the love Lily asked about, isn't what happened between her and Alan.

"No, but they became good friends, the best of friends really. They loved each other very much, but they did not fall in love. They had many adventures. They slew demons, discovered ancient treasures, explored unknown lands, and even tamed a mighty dragon." Artimes answered.

"Wow." Lily commented clearly impressed.

"But the princess's happiness did not last forever, Lily." Artimes replied.

"Oh no. What happened?" Lily asked clutching onto Artimes's hand like it was a life line.

Artimes took a deep breath. This was the hardest part. Could she really tell Lily about what happened to Alan without Artimes bursting into tears? She had to try, for herself and for Alan. She had to remember the day she lost Alan, the day she lost everything that mattered to her.

"On one of their adventures, the princess and the knight were attacked by a mob of angry villagers. The villagers believed them to be evil demons sent to take their children away. The princess was captured by the villagers and in order to save her, the brave knight called upon a special power. Shortly after, they returned to her kingdom, but the minions of the Dark Kingdom were waiting for them. They had felt the knight's power and came to capture and imprison him. The monsters held the princess hostage and said they would spare her life if the knight went with them willingly. The princess begged the brave knight not to go, but he said that it was his duty to protect her, so he went with monsters and she was left all alone again." Artimes continued.

Artimes remembered Alan's thoughts very clearly. She would never forget what he told her that day.

'I promised to keep you safe and this is me, keeping that promise. No tears, little one. They are not worthy of seeing you cry. No matter what happens, you keep going and stay strong. Find your happiness, little one and if you want to honor me then do one thing. That's all, one thing. Have a good life. Do that for me, Artimes, have a fantastic life.' Alan's voice softly whispered in her mind.

Artimes had not shed a single tear since that day and she had done her best to fulfill Alan's final wish. Her heart cried out knowing that the worst was yet to come. It was the day that Alan died and her heart had died with him.

"Did the knight come back? Did he defeat the monsters?" Lily asked her eyes filled with hope.

How Artimes wished she could tell Lily that he did, but it was far from the truth. Artimes could feel her eyes beginning to sting, but she refused to cry. She promised Alan that she wouldn't cry. Oh why in heaven's name did she tell Lily about her past? It was reopening old wounds that took her years to heal over.

"The brave knight fought valiantly and the monsters could not conquer the knight's noble spirit. His heart stayed true to the princess, but his mind was shattered by the monsters' dark power. In the end, the monsters devoured the knight's body, but the heart and soul of the knight lived on in the princess he cherished, guiding her way and guarding her heart." Artimes answered.

By some miracle, her voice stayed even and calm, never revealing Artimes's inner turmoil.

"But what happened to the princess?" Lily asked her tone demanding.

What did happen to Artimes after that? Artimes glanced over at Jim and he smiled softly at her. Artimes's inner turmoil seemed to calm and still for a moment from such a simple gesture. Artimes turned her attention back to Lily. Perhaps it was time to tell the little girl about how she met Jim. Lily tugged on Artimes's hand and she chuckled softly.

"Auntie?" The girl whined.

"Filled with the fire and might of the knight's spirit, the princess waged a hidden war within the Dark Kingdom for years. The monsters soon discovered that unlike the king, the queen, and the knight before her, the princess could not be devoured. So in their fear of the princess, they sealed her away in a powerful ice crystal and sent her to a distant land, but to the monsters' dismay, the crystal could not withstand her fiery spirit and it shattered." Artimes continued a smile appearing on her face.

It was rather comical turning all those incidents she did to piss off the Confederacy into a hidden war. It was almost too much referring to cryostasis as a magical ice crystal. Artimes tried very hard not to laugh at the irony of it all.

"Well? What happened next?" Lily asked her excitement growing.

Artimes smiled inwardly. It was time for the introduction of the Zerg and her first meeting with Jim, but how to describe the perverted marshal that thought one thing, but said another? He certainly did know how to make her laugh and smile. He trusted her in her abilities and thought she was beautiful. An idea popped into her mind and she went with it.

"The princess awoke in a strange new land, but it was not green and beautiful like her kingdom. It was hot and arid like a desert, but was rocky and rough like the mountains. She wandered the land for some time and was attacked many times by strange creatures that wanted to eat her, but she defeated them all. Soon the princess grew very tired, weary from her travels. It was then she encountered a mysterious and handsome man. She knew instantly that he was a rogue who existed outside the law, yet she did not fear him. She could tell that he had a kind and gentle soul and only stole from evil men who were driven by greed and the lust for power." Artimes answered glancing over at Jim for a brief moment, a slight smirk on her face.

That was one way of describing the wayward marshal and thinking about it, it suited him quite well.

"Did he attack the princess?" Lily asked worried.

'Not in the way you're thinking, Lily.' Artimes thought dryly, remembering Jim's perverted thoughts and images.

"Oh no. Quite the opposite, in fact. He helped the princess. You see, the rogue was enchanted by her beauty and he soon learned of the great trials she had endured in her past. Like the knight before him, he vowed to always be by her side, but instead of believing the princess to be helpless and needing protection, he fought by her side and trusted in her abilities. And she, in turn, trusted his." Artimes answered a soft smile on her lips.

Maybe one day she could tell Jim about her past. She wanted him to know her, to truly know her, but she was afraid. Would he betray her to the Confederacy? Would he reject her because she was a psi? Would he abandon her? No, she couldn't tell him. She didn't want to lose him. She has already lost so much. She wouldn't be able to bear losing Jim too.

"Tell me more." Lily demanded.

There wasn't much more to tell considering she hadn't lived it yet. Time to wrap things up.

"The adventures of the princess and the rogue…is a story for another time." Artimes replied smiling.

"Awwwww…." The girl complained.

Artimes tucked the girl into bed and an idea suddenly popped into her mind. Maybe Lily would be appeased if she sang her a lullaby. It couldn't hurt to try.

"Close your eyes and I will sing you a lullaby." Artimes bartered.

Lily smiled widely and made a big production of closing her eyes. Unknown to Artimes, Stephanie activated the comm system and had it broadcasting to everyone on the Command Center and barracks the moment the Commander began to sing.

"Lay down your head and I'll sing you a lullaby. Back to the years of loo-li lai-lay. And I'll sing you to sleep and I'll sing you tomorrow. Bless you with love for the road that you go." Artimes began.

All the colonists, who were not asleep already, sat silently and listened as the Commander they trusted sang, her voice slipping effortlessly through the notes.

"May you sail far to the far fields of fortune with diamonds and pearls at your head and your feet. And may you need never to banish misfortune. May you find kindness in all that you meet." Artimes continued.

The many workers and technicians stopped their work as the Commander sang the notes of the instrumental and violin solos. All of them were transfixed, rendered speechless by her sweet voice.

"May there always be angels to watch over you, to guide you in each step of the way, to guard you and keep you safe from all harm. Loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay. Loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay." Artimes sang.

The members of the Alpha unit, who were in the middle of a poker game, ceased all activity and listened to the Commander that they loved, trusted, and respected. They heard every emotion she kept hidden away, and their hearts cried silently for their beloved Commander.

"May you bring love and may you bring happiness. Be loved in return to the end of your days. Now fall off to sleep. I'm not meaning to keep you. I'll just sit for awhile and sing loo-li lai-lay." Artimes continued.

Doctor Tucker looked up from his reports, a small smile on his face.

'So Carter was right, she does have the voice of nightingale.' He thought.

Like so many others, Tucker listened intently to the Commander's song.

"May there always be angels to watch over you, to guide you in each step of the way, to guard you and keep you safe from all harm. Loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay. Loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay. Loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay. Loo-li, loo-li lai-lay." Artimes finished.

When Artimes had finished her song, Stephanie turned off the comm system and the trio noticed that Lily was fast asleep. Artimes stood up slowly as to not wake the sleeping child. She bent down and kissed the girl's forehead.

"Good night, Lily." She whispered before walking quietly across the room and dragging Jim out to the living room.

Jim had been completely enthralled with her tale and then blasted into orbit when he heard her sing. He had never heard anything so beautiful before. Her voice was like that of an angel and yet she seemed so sad. He took note that her eyes were distant and sad. There was pain there too though it was almost completely hidden. He wondered what upset her so much. Stephanie joined them, so he put those thoughts aside.

"I must say, Artimes, you're a natural." Stephanie complimented smiling.

Artimes blinked owlishly.

"A natural what?" Artimes asked tilting her head to the side in confusion.

"A mother, of course. You're a natural parent. Your parents raised you well." Stephanie commented.

Unfortunately for Stephanie, Lily's bedtime story had left Artimes very emotionally raw and she hadn't had the time to seal away her emotions again.

"They didn't raise me at all. They died when I was three years old." Artimes snapped her anger getting the better of her for a split second.

Stephanie's eyes widened and filled with a sudden realization.

'So the princess in her story was her. I knew she was a psi when she understood what I did before. Oh god, how could I be so insensitive? Why didn't I realize sooner that she was telling Lily about her life? It was so obvious from her emotions. How could I be so stupid?' Stephanie thought immediately berating herself.

Upon hearing Stephanie's thoughts, Artimes felt incredibly guilty. It wasn't Stephanie's fault that Artimes's parents weren't there to raise her.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped like that. It was rude." Artimes apologized.

'Oh no. I made her feel bad about snapping at me. Damn it, I'm sorry.' Stephanie thought.

"It was my fault. I shouldn't have said anything." Stephanie replied.

'All that pain I felt, all that sorrow and sadness, all that bone chilling despair and loneliness…it all came from her. The Confederacy took everything from her and left her with nothing. How could they be so cruel? Oh Artimes, I'm sorry.' Stephanie thought her eyes shining with understanding.

Artimes's eyes softened. Stephanie really did accept her.

"It wasn't your fault. You didn't know. I don't know what it means to be a parent, but at least Lily enjoyed herself." Artimes commented as Jim placed a hand on her shoulder.

Artimes looked up at him and smiled softly. Jim was always there to comfort her. He gave her stability, but more importantly, he gave her hope. The hope that she could one day find happiness.

"That she did. I have no doubt that she'll want to hear more about the fiery princess and handsome rogue." Jim commented smiling at Artimes.

Artimes's eyes lit up with happiness and humor.

'There. I can feel it. There's hope shining within the sadness, and it's all centered around Jim. She trusts him, but she's afraid. With her past, I'm not surprised. She's afraid to let him in too deep. I sense two fears from her; the fear of betrayal and the fear of loss. She's afraid to tell him about her powers, but that fear is slowly diminishing. She is more afraid of losing him; like her parents…no, like the knight from her story. There must be something I could do, some way of easing her fear. Damn it, I'm so useless. I have the gift of empathic clarity, but there's no way for me to help her.' Stephanie thought.

Stephanie had no idea what she had just done. She had given names to what Artimes was afraid of, but more importantly, she had said that the fear of betrayal was beginning to lessen. Could it be that one day Artimes could truly trust Jim with her greatest secret?

"Oh shoot, I forgot to tell Lily what the knight's power was." Artimes commented.

Artimes had to get Stephanie to understand that Artimes had to sort through her emotions on her own, but it would help if she has someplace or preferably someone she could turn to.

"What was it?" Stephanie asked clearly curious.

"The knight's power was the ability to feel another's emotions and control them." Artimes answered smiling slightly at Stephanie's deer in the headlights look.

"Control them how?" Jim asked.

"The knight could say, for example, excite a lethargic crowd or calm an unruly mob, but it doesn't matter anyway. The knight's power didn't work on the princess that's why the knight enjoyed being around the princess, but it did mean that the princess had to sort through her emotions on her own." Artimes answered looking straight into Stephanie's eyes, "The knight simply offered her a place where she could express herself without prejudice or judgments."

"A confidant." Stephanie said who looked to be having a eureka moment.

Artimes smiled softly.

"Anyways, good night, Stephanie." Artimes said while exiting the room and into the hallway.

Jim followed shortly after.

"Good night, Artimes. Good night, Jim." Stephanie replied.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"So how 'bout that dinner?" Jim asked smiling.

"How about a rain check?" Artimes countered.

Artimes really didn't feel like eating. She felt like curling into a ball and disappearing. Talking about her past had brought up quite a few feelings that she needed to contend with and she couldn't do that around Jim. For the first time in years, Artimes wanted to cry, but she held it in.

'Something isn't right. She seems so distant. The pain and sadness in her eyes is even stronger now. Does it have to do with Lily's bedtime story? Come to think of it, didn't the princess's parents die when she was little and Artimes said her parents died when she was three. Could it be that Lily's story was, in fact, Artimes's story…her past.' Jim thought.

Damn, Jim was just as perceptive as Lily, if not more so. Artimes doesn't have the strength to deal with the possibility of Jim discovering she was a psi. She wouldn't be able to handle that very well emotionally. She was starting to regret telling Lily about her past.

'And the way she spoke to Stephanie, it was like she was responding to something unsaid like a thought.' Jim thought and stopped dead in his tracks.

Artimes really wanted to disappear right at the moment. Please don't let Jim figure it out.

'She's a psi. Her parents had psionic abilities and so did Alan.' Jim thought.

Artimes came to a halt and waited for the inevitable. It was judgment time and she wasn't ready.

'But why? Why didn't she tell me?' Jim thought.

Artimes forced herself to look back at him. Her silver eyes shined with sadness and fear. Jim's eyes widened as their eyes met.

'She's afraid. She's afraid I'll reject her or worse. Does she think I would betray her, that I would just turn her over to the Confederates? Oh hell no. She's my best friend and those Confederate bastards can't have her. Not now, not ever. I will never betray her. It goes against everything I am to do such a thing.' Jim thought sincerity and honesty in every word.

Artimes's eyes widened in surprise. He wouldn't betray her? Could she really trust Jim? Could she open her heart one more time and let him in? Jim noticed the change and put two and two together.

'She can hear me. She can hear my thoughts.' Jim thought.

In that moment, Artimes began to shatter, her world came crumbling down around her. She could feel the tears beginning to well up in her eyes, so she did the only thing she could do, she ran. She ran away from Jim and straight to her quarters. The moment the door closed, she engaged the magnetic locks. She leaned against the door trying desperately to hold back the tears. She heard Jim's footsteps stop in front of her door.

'Artimes, I will never betray you. I don't care that you're a psi. You're my friend and I care about you. I won't let those Confederate bastards hurt you, I promise. I'll stay by your side. You have to know that that I'll always be with you, no matter how dicey things get. You have to know that no matter the distance, I'm always with you.' Jim thought every word holding a courage and conviction that Artimes didn't understand.

Soon Jim's fading footsteps signaled his departure. Artimes slid down the door until she was sitting on the floor.

"I know, I know." She whispered tears rolling down her face.

The scars of her heart were once again deep, bleeding wounds. She brought her knees to her chest and buried her face into her legs.

'No tears, little one.' Alan's voice whispered in her mind.

Artimes looked up and there was Alan, kneeling before her. She stared into his deep blue eyes, unwilling to blink for fear of shattering the illusion of her best friend. He smiled softly at her, his eyes filled with kindness, compassion, and understanding. Unable to keep her eyes open any longer, she blinked and the image vanished. Alan was gone and she cried that much harder.

"Oh Alan, Mom, Dad. What do I do? Please Alan, what do I do?" She whispered her voice layered in pain and loneliness.

'Keep going and stay strong. Find your happiness, little one.' Alan's voice whispered in her mind.

"I don't want to be alone anymore. Please Alan, give me the strength. Give me the strength to try one last time." She whispered.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The next morning…0530 hours.

Artimes walked into the Command Core and took notice of one worn out Jim Raynor. He was leaning against the terminal, drinking a cup of coffee.

"Good morning, Jim!" She greeted happily.

'Good God, she's one of those morning people.' Jim thought sourly.

Artimes took the coffee cup from his hand and sat in the Command Chair.

"That's right, Jimmy. I'm a morning person." She replied to his thoughts.

She sipped the coffee while waiting for Jim to get over his shock.

'Did she just reply to my thoughts?' Jim thought his tired brain trying to make sense of what had just occurred.

Artimes smiled warmly at him.

"Don't be so surprised, Jimmy. After all, you figured it out last night." She stated sipping the coffee.

"But why did you run away?" He asked aloud.

"I wasn't ready yet, but after the dream I had last night, I wanted you to know the truth." Artimes answered looking down at the coffee in her hands.

"What dream?" Jim asked kneeling next to her.

"It doesn't matter." She stated.

Jim placed a hand on her knee and she looked over at him.

"It matters to you." Jim replied.

Artimes sighed heavily. In for a penny, in for a pound. She might as well get it over with.

"In the dream, you were wearing handcuffs…" She started.

'Kinky.' Jim thought.

She glared at him and he raised his hands in mock defeat and stood up.

"You were being led away by General Duke like you had been arrested or something. I tried to run after you, but no matter how fast I ran, I couldn't get any closer and then you disappeared all together and I was surrounded by the Zerg." Artimes explained staring at the dark fluid in the cup.

"Don't worry. We'll stop over at Backwater and then head straight to MS1. Everything will be fine. Trust me." Jim replied taking the coffee from her and sipping it.

Artimes scowled at him.

"You just don't get it." She spat not bothering to hide her anger.

He looked down at her and sighed.

"So explain it to me. Start from the beginning with your parents." Jim said polishing off the coffee and setting the cup next to the terminal.

She glanced up at him and fidgeted.

'It's alright, Artimes. Don't be afraid.' Jim thought his eyes soft and full of warmth.

Artimes sighed and shifted her gaze to the terminal. There was no way in Hell that she would get the story out in one sitting if she looked at him while telling it.

"When I was three years old, my parents were forced into the Ghost program. It was relatively new back then so the Confederate were a bit more experimental back then than they are now. My dad was a walking lie detector and no one could lie when he was in the room. My mother was an empath, capable of feeling another's emotions, and she could calm any fear a person possessed.

The day the left, or should I say taken, I begged them not to go. That I would be good if they didn't leave me. I didn't know that it wasn't my fault and that they were not given the choice, they were forced. I learned later that if my parents had not entered the Ghost program willingly then the Confederates would have taken me away.

They would turn me into the ultimate lab rat, all psionic and biological research would be fair game. There was even talk of turning me into a mindless love slave." Artimes started.

Jim's mind was oddly quiet. She thought for certain that he would have some kind of comment, but she didn't dare look up at him to discover the reason for the silence.

"Six months after they entered the program, they died. During one of the experiments they were conducting, my parents along with several hundred other psionically gifted humans suffered from a cascade of brain aneurisms which was caused by a chemical imbalance in the hypothalamus portion of the brain. It was induced by an agent that the Confederate scientists cooked up to amplify psionic abilities. Stupid Confederate scientists, I grew up alone because of them." Artimes continued her voice cold and even from her deep seated rage and hatred.

"Alan." Was all Jim said.

Her anger was replaced by sorrow and her gaze shifted to the floor. She brought her legs up into the chair and wrapped her arms around them. Her eyes took on a distant look.

"I met Alan when I was nineteen. He discovered that his empathic powers didn't work on me. He followed me back to headquarters and asked to be transferred into my unit. He became my second in command. The demons we slew were terrorists, the ancient treasures we found were rare veins of minerals and ores that were nearly impossible to find, the unknown lands were mountain ranges, swamps, deserts, and even the ocean floor. The dragon we tamed was an experimental wraith ship that had undergone heavy modification. It was called the Draconis. It had been hijacked by a rogue AI called Gabriel. He was originally the AI for a battle cruiser called the Balance of Judgment." Artimes explained.

'Lily's bedtime story, it really was her past. The king and queen were obviously her parents. The knight must be Alan, but who is the rogue?' Jim thought.

Artimes's lips twitched into an almost smile.

"Alan and I were friends for many years, lovers too, but we were never _in_ love. It never went beyond friendship for me and Alan, but I did love him very much and I know he felt the same for me. It was on our last mission that everything went to Hell.

Our unit was dealing with mob of civilians who were protesting the mandatory draft, forcing anyone over the age of eighteen to enlist in the military. Things were getting out of hand and fast. At one point, I was grabbed and dragged into the crowd. They removed my armor and started taking off my uniform.

They had every intention of stringing me up and raping me right in front of Alan. Alan heard me scream and in order to save me, he unleashed his empathic power. His entire body glowed from pushing his power to such high levels. He calmed down the entire crowd, secured my release, and we hightailed it back to base." Artimes continued her voice expressing emotions she had never before shown.

'Didn't the knight her story…oh God.' Jim thought.

Jim was beginning to understand just what she had lost and what she had endured. She was once again at one of the hardest points in the story. She took a deep breath to steady herself.

"Upon arrival, we were summoned to the Admiral's office where I was immediately shoved against the wall, several guns in my face. They offered Alan a choice: to participate in their new Specter program or my death. They knew how much Alan cared for me and just how much he was willing to sacrifice to keep me safe.

It was then that I heard Alan's thoughts: his promise to protect me, to not cry because they were unworthy of seeing my tears, to never give up and stay strong, to find happiness, and to honor him by having a good life, a fantastic life. So he went with them willingly and I was let go.

Before he turned the corner, he looked straight at me, his eyes were filled with such warmth, such fire. His last thoughts before he was gone was 'To you alone, I remain true.'" Artimes spoke tears falling down her face unbidden.

Jim was silent, his thoughts were nothing more than strong emotions and a deep desire to hold her in his arms and make the pain go away. She realized just how much he really cared.

"The Specter program's main objective was to create a soldier who obeyed only one master, but they underestimated Alan's loyalty to me. He fought the mental conditioning with everything that he was. The Confederate scientists, in their arrogance, believed that they could make him forget about me. His final test would have been to kill me, but the conditioning backfired.

His mind shattered and in his insanity, he killed two thirds of the Confederate scientists and destroyed all research pertaining to the Specter program. They brought me in, in hopes of quelling the beast. Once again, their plan backfired. The moment he saw me, his thoughts became completely centered on me. His only desire was to protect me.

He killed anyone who dared to venture close to me. The whole time he was screaming out my name. In the end, I was forced to watch as they emptied clip after clip into Alan's body. Even bullet ridden and covered in blood, he fought to keep me safe. Finally he went down and I held him in my arms as he died. My name was the last word he spoke." Artimes continued.

Her voice never wavered, never faltered, but there was a steady stream of tears flowing down her face revealing just how much pain she was in. She could feel the fierce urge to protect from Jim. She realized that her past was hurting him and that he felt completely useless. She knew she made the right choice in telling him about her past, for trusting him.

"Afterwards, they burned his body and they kept me away from major events, but that didn't stop me from doing a whole list of things to piss off the Confederacy. They even made a new unit for me consisting of the people who worked with me and Alan. There were only five marines: Matthew Grayson, Jack Carter, Trevor Marcus, Flynn Carson, and Alex Masters. Several years later, they sent me here." She finished drying her tears.

Jim was having trouble controlling his volatile emotions and was desperately searching for something else to latch onto to stay in control.

'But who was the rogue in Lily's bedtime story?' Jim thought finally coming up a different approach, curiosity.

Artimes looked at him and smiled weakly.

"The rogue is you, Jim." She commented.

In that moment, it was as if there was a light bulb above Jim's head and it just lit up.

"Oh." He said, "What about your dreams?"

She could kiss Jim at that moment, but refrained from doing so. It was time to get back to the nitty gritty and away from her past.

"My abilities are unique. I'm a damn good telepath, I'm partially empathic, and I have some sort of precognitive ability as well." She answered setting her feet back on the floor.

"Precognitive? What like seeing the future, darling?" He asked perplexed.

She nodded.

"Tucker recently discovered that with every bout of cryotoxicemia I suffered from, it permanently boosted my psionic abilities. Normally, natural psis strengthen their powers by actively using them. Mine were strengthened by my training _and_ by the cryotoxicemia." She explained.

"Okay, I'm with you so far." He replied leaning against the terminal.

"Precognition usually manifests as dreams before moving onto actual conscious visions. While I was in cryostasis, I dreamt…" She started but was cut off by Jim.

"You can't dream in cryostasis, it's impossible." He retorted crossing his arms.

She gave him a look that said 'Really Jim, is that the best you could come up with it after everything I've said?'

"Well, it's bullshit, because I dream while in stasis. I've always been able to. I saw the Zerg years ago and I even saw you, Jim. I dreamt of you, in stasis, on the way here to Mar Sara." She replied getting annoyed.

"Alright, so you can see the future. Is it permanent?" Jim asked.

"Huh?" She replied blinking owlishly.

"I mean is it like fixed in place? Can it be changed?" Jim asked trying to find the right words to phrase his query.

"Actually I don't know. According to Tucker, I see the most likely future, so it may be possible to change it." She answered.

"And why does Tucker know so much?" He asked slightly irritated.

'That's the second time she has mentioned that damn doctor.' Jim thought.

Artimes smiled at that. Jim was still being jealous because of the perverted doctor. God, she loved male egos, so entertaining.

"Tucker is a low level psi. His gift allows him to recognize and communicate with fellow psis. He made a promise long ago that he would help other psis remain hidden." She answered leaving out the part of Tucker being a telepath on purpose.

She had to get her kicks somewhere and it came no better than a perverted doctor and shameless teasing of a particular marshal.

'Did she tell him about her past too?' Jim thought.

"No, Jim. You're the only one who knows all the gory details. Stephanie knows the brief overview because of Lily's bedtime story." Artimes explained.

"Is Aldarin a psi too? Because she tapped her heart, nodded, and tapped it again and you seemed to know what that meant." Jim concluded.

So Jim was not only perceptive but observant as well. He's very clever to have put so much together on his own.

"Steph is an empath, but her power runs deeper than the average psi. She had a gift called empathic clarity. Basically that means putting names to very specific emotions and usually what causes said emotions." Artimes explained.

'I'm surrounded by psychics. God help them.' Jim thought.

Artimes chuckled softly and activated the Command Chair. It slid forward and Artimes took note of the time, 0645.

"You realize we have been talking for the last hour and fifteen minutes?" Artimes questioned smiling at Jim.

'Time flies when you're with a beautiful woman.' Jim thought looking down at her.

Artimes blushed slightly.

"I just told you that I'm a walking freak of nature and you still think I'm beautiful?" Artimes asked in disbelief.

"You're not a freak of nature and I don't want to hear you say that ever again. You're a kind, caring, and compassionate woman who just happens to be brilliant, cunning, and clever. You are physically attractive with that gorgeous red hair and eyes that shine like stars. Not to mention, all the right curves in all the rights places." Jim answered while Artimes was blushing like mad, "You have a smile that melts the iciest of hearts and when you sing, it's like that of a goddess. Trust me; beautiful does not even begin to describe what you are, darling."

Artimes couldn't speak. While Jim had been talking, his memories of her had been replaying in his mind. She had been rendered speechless by their overwhelming intensity. Was that really how he saw her? In his mind, Artimes was amazing, beautiful, brilliant, stunning, and capable of doing the impossible. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest like at any second it was going to explode.

"Um…wow. Uh…anyways, what about my dream of us being separated?" Artimes asked discovering her voice and trying to steer the conversation away from the profound revelation she had just experienced.

"Even if we do get separated, and I'm not planning it on it because I'm going to change it, but if it does happen then I want you to know that I'll always be with you. Even if we are entire galaxies apart." Jim answered leaning down and kissing her head, "Besides I'm a very stubborn bastard and no matter how far away I am or how long it takes, I'll find my way back to you. I promise I'll come back. I'll come back to you."

Artimes felt Jim's sincerity in every word he spoke. She was so glad that she trusted him.

'Thank you, Alan, for giving me the strength to try again. I promise that I will find my happiness. Just you watch me, Alan. I'll make you proud.' Artimes thought.

"So you're saying that I'm stuck with you?" Artimes joked smirking.

Jim grinned cockily and Artimes laughed.

"You damn right, darling." He answered.

"Then God help anyone who tries to keep us apart and may God have mercy on their souls." Artimes commented putting on her comm gear.

"Forget mercy. Fire and brimstone is more like it." Jim retorted as he got off the terminal.

Artimes laughed merrily as Jim made faces like he was on fire.

"Priority Alert!" Sara informed showing up on the upper far right screen.

Jim and Artimes directed their attention to the AI, all laughter and silly antics ceasing as they switched to professional mode.

"Backwater Station under attack from unknown alien organisms. Distress beacon activated at 0658. Alerting Confederate Headquarters on Tarsonis…stand by for incoming transmission." Sara informed.

Duke's appeared in the screen next to Sara's.

"We've already the received the distress beacon from Backwater and we'll take care of it. You just sit tight. You'll be notified if there's anything we think you need to know." Duke ordered before the screen went blank.

Artimes glared at the empty screen. Duke was really starting to piss her off.

"Damn! Listen, if we wait for Confederate reinforcements, that station's dust. I'll head out there now, do what I can. You send in some militia and we'll save those folks. Trust me." Jim spoke before heading towards the door.

"Don't do anything to stupid to get yourself arrested, Jim. Otherwise…" Artimes started.

"You'll track me down and beat the living hell out me, right darling?" Jim responded his voice laced with humor.

"You damn right." She replied echoing his words from before.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The Command Center and barracks landed about a quarter of a mile from the Station. Jim was already suited up, on his vulture, and waiting at the front of the base. Artimes was outside the Command Center giving orders. Six marines came to a halt in front of her. Five were from her Alpha unit, but the sixth one she didn't know.

"Who's this?" She asked Grayson.

"Benjamin Riley, Commander. He's the newest member of the Alpha unit." He answered.

"It's a pleasure, ma'am." Riley said while saluting.

The other five marines tensed and were all sporting 'Oh shit' looks in their faces. The Commander took on a deadly appeal and pinned Riley with a death glare. Said marine froze instantly wondering what he did to anger her.

"Listen up, rookie, because I'm going to say this only once. Don't…ever…call me…ma'am…again, understood?" She said her voice cold, even, and carried the promise of pain.

"Yes ma'…Commander." Riley replied almost calling her ma'am a second time.

"Good. Grayson, you and Masters have point at Backwater Station. Marcus, Carson, you'll have point on our end. Carter, you and the rookie will be stationed along the evac route." She ordered.

"Yes Commander!" They replied heading off.

Artimes activated her comm.

"Gamma and Bravo units, report to Captain Raynor at the front of the base." She ordered before deactivating the comm.

She headed back inside the Command Center and went to a nearby wall terminal. She pressed a button on the terminal to activate its comm system.

"Sara, get me comm wide for the Command Center." She ordered.

"Comm-link established." Sara replied.

"Attention all Mar Sara colonists. This is Commander Artimes Blaine. We are in a hostile environment. All non-combatants will remain in the Command Center. Backwater Station is under attack by the creatures known as the Zerg. We will be receiving refugees from Backwater shortly. Blaine out." She ordered deactivating the terminal's comm.

She headed towards the Core and activated her comm gear and said, "Tucker."

"Doc?" She asked.

"Medical team on standby and waiting for the arrival of Backwater refugees, Commander." He replied.

"Good man." She commented deactivating the comm.

She entered the Core and sat in the Command Chair. It slide forward and Artimes began bringing up sensors, comm, and external defense systems.

"Glad to see ya, boys. Time to kick some serious butt." Jim commented as he was joined by Bravo and Gamma units.

"You do realize that they'll be kicking back?" Artimes asked playfully.

Jim chuckled.

"I certainly hope so. Otherwise it wouldn't be any fun." He answered.

"You have the green light, Jim. Just make certain the evac route is clear before you open up a can of whoop ass." She retorted smiling.

"Roger that, Commander." Jim replied.

A few minutes later, Jim made a startling discovery.

"What the hell is that? Looks like the ground there is alive." Jim commented astonished.

"Jim, give me visual." She ordered.

The lower middle left screen changed and showed the ground to be covered in a semi-solid purple ooze. Judging from the readings she was getting from Jim's vulture, it was alive.

"Mystery of the purple ooze has been solved. I'm calling that stuff, creep, because it is creeping along the ground." Artimes commented.

"That would make the building what…a creep colony?" Jim asked.

"Sounds good to me. The readings show that it's a biological composition, holding both nutritional properties and balancing agents. I think they need to use this creep to maintain structural stability for their buildings. If the creep colony creates the creep then it stands to reason that the creep should disappear upon its destruction." Artimes concluded, "I'm curious about how they would stand up to fire."

"Careful, darling. You're beginning to sound like a scientist." Jim half joked.

Artimes hissed at the insult.

"Jim, I'm going to kick your ass on principle." She threatened.

"Looking forward to it, babe." Jim replied.

"Don't call me babe." She retorted.

"Ooh, feisty." Jim commented.

Artimes smiled. That Jim was one hell of a character.

"And proud of it." She replied chuckling.

A few minutes later, Jim arrived at the edge of Backwater Station. An SCV and a marine exited the bunker to his right.

"Thanks for the rescue. We've been hold up in these bunkers for days hiding from the Zerg." The SCV pilot stated.

'And they only just activated their distress beacon this morning?' Artimes thought dryly.

"These things have been out here awhile, but they could be pretty useful." Jim commented.

'Thank you for stating the obvious, Jimmy. Your cleverness and cunning knows no bounds.' Artimes thought sarcastically, a small smirk appearing on her face.

"Jim, get to the Command Center and check on the refugees before heading out." Artimes ordered.

"Keep your panties on, Commander." Jim stated with humor.

"I thought all men sought for undergarment removal, Captain." Artimes countered smiling.

Jim arrived as a firebat exited the Command Center.

"Need a light?" The firebat asked.

Artimes attempted to muffle her laughter.

"Perfect timing, right darling?" Jim commented.

From his tone, you could tell that he was grinning like an idiot.

"Grayson, Masters, make certain that the refugees bring any supplies they have. We're going to need them once we reach MS1." Artimes ordered.

"Roger that, Commander." Grayson replied.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Meanwhile on the evac route, Carter and Riley were talking.

"Why doesn't the Commander like being called ma'am?" Riley asked curious.

"Keep your voice down, will ya?" Carter griped looking around to make certain that no one had heard the idiot rookie.

"Well?" Riley asked his voice lower than before.

"The Commander is a bit sensitive about the whole age thing." Carter started.

"Age thing?" Riley echoed confused.

Carter sighed heavily.

"In the Commander's mind, ma'am is a title for females of the elderly persuasion." Carter tried again.

Riley blinked owlishly at him.

"Look, it makes the Commander feel disrespected alright. I mean, the Commander is in her mid-twenties and being called ma'am makes her feel like an old lady." Carter said bluntly, his annoyance in full swing.

Riley thought about it for a moment.

"But why didn't she just say that?" Riley asked perplexed.

"Because she is the Commander and being in the Alpha unit means we know her better than she knows herself. So do us all a favor and never call the Commander ma'am again, okay?" Carter answered clearly frustrated.

Why did he get stuck explaining things to the rookie? Grayson or Masters were much better at this sort of thing than he was.

"What's the worse she can do? Throw us in the brig?" Riley asked clearly not getting the point.

Carter groaned. He certainly hoped the Commander never hears about this. Riley would be in a world of hurt. He remembered when Carson joined the Alpha unit. He called the Commander, ma'am, for a week straight before she finally lost her temper. He ended up in a full body cast and was stuck in the medical ward for over three weeks and that was her taking it easy.

"She's a lot stronger than she looks, kid. You don't want to be on the receiving end of her anger. Just asked Carson what happened when he called her ma'am for a week straight. I think he still has nightmares after all these years. She's stronger than the Devil himself." Carter answered shuddering at the memory of Carson's bones breaking…while he was fully armored.

"She really that bad?" Riley asked in disbelief.

He wouldn't be asking that question if he had seen what Carter had seen, but he also didn't like how that question sounded. It made her sound like a terrible commander and he was going to put the rookie straight.

"The Commander is one of the best people you will ever have the opportunity of meeting. She is an amazing and talented woman. It's an honor and a privilege serving under her and being a part of this unit means that you'll sacrifice everything if it meant keeping her safe." Carter stated his voice filled with respect and admiration.

"But is her temper really that bad?" Riley asked.

Carter cringed slightly. Good God Almighty, would this kid ever understand?

"There are fates worse than death, kid, and if you ever piss off the Commander, you will wish, beg, plead, and grovel to be granted a swift and merciful death rather than face her wrath." Carter answered his tone deadly serious.

Riley shivered. Finally, a rational response from the rookie.

"Duly noted." Riley replied making a mental note never to anger the Commander…ever.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Back with Artimes in the Command Center…

"Tango unit?" Artimes asked chuckling, "Really, Jim?"

"Dancing with fire, darling. Oh come on, you know you love it." Jim answered.

Artimes laughed merrily.

"Well anyways, I'm sending Bravo, Gamma, and Tango units back to the station." Jim continued.

"And you're certain that you and Backwater's militia can handle the rest?" Artimes asked concerned.

"There isn't much terrain left to cover so it shouldn't be a problem." Jim answered.

"Just be careful." Artimes replied.

Artimes activated her comm gear.

"Bravo, Gamma, and Tango, upon arrival at the station gather any supplies remaining and double time back to base." She ordered.

"Understood." They answered before the comm deactivated.

"Commander, Alpha unit has returned to base. All refugees are accounted for." Grayson informed over the comm.

At this point, Artimes wasn't paying much attention to anything. A sense of dread and uneasiness was building inside her. Something was wrong or was about to go wrong.

"Commander?" Grayson called.

"I'm fine." She replied shakily.

"You alright, darling?" Jim asked worried.

"I…I don't know. I have this feeling. I can't shake it. I…I can't explain it." She answered.

She growled in annoyance.

"Artimes, once Bravo, Gamma, and Tango get back, I want you take off for MS1." Jim replied.

"I'm not leaving you, Jim." She countered forcefully.

"Who said anything about leaving, darling? Me and the boys will meet up with you at the next cool down site and we'll go to MS1 together. Our first priority is the safety of the refugees, so go on and get moving. Besides, you still owe me dinner, darling." Jim commented.

Artimes sighed heavily. She hated when Jim was right. Jim should be fine on his own, right? The dream from the night before played in her mind again and she gritted her teeth in frustration. Jim said he would change the future, so she just had to trust him.

"Fine, but if you do anything…" She started.

"…stupid, you'll kick my ass from here to Tarsonis, right darling?" Jim finished.

"Bastard." She stated.

"Beautiful." He replied.

"Pervert." She countered.

"Vixen." He answered.

"Idiots." Tucker interjected.

"Shut up, Tucker." Both of them replied.

Ten minutes later, Bravo, Gamma, and Tango units returned to base. All supplies, refugees, and personnel were put into place and they were ready for lift off.

"Commander, you have the green light." Grayson informed of the comm.

"Roger that." Artimes replied.

"Sara, get me comm wide for the Command Center and barracks." She ordered.

"Comm-link established." Sara replied.

"This is Commander Artimes Blaine. We'll be lifting off momentarily, so hold on tight. It'll be a bit shaky until we reach optimal altitude and thrust. Blaine out." Artimes informed before deactivating the comm.

"Sara, disengage mag locks for the Command Center and barracks." She ordered.

Artimes felt the small tremors as the mag locks released from the ground and docked within the Command Center.

"Magnetic locking system has been disengaged." Sara informed.

"Bring anti-grav generators online and lift off on my mark. Three…two…one…mark." She ordered.

The entire Command Center shook as the generators fought to overcome the planet's gravity. Artimes held on to the armrests of the Command Chair to prevent herself from shaking out of the chair completely. She made a mental note to check the stabilizers when they reached MS1.

Artimes turned her attention to the rattling noise coming from her right. It was Jim's coffee cup from that morning. She watched as it rattled off the edge of terminal and fell to the floor, shattering on impact.

Artimes's eyes widened as her vision darkened. In front of her was a Confederate Command Center, but it looked wrong. It was covered in a webbing of tendrils and near the top and to the side was some sort of red organic sack. It was pulsing like a heart that was beating. Could the Zerg somehow infest a Command Center, but what did it have to do her?

She gasped when the Command Center erupted in flames. She could actually feel the heat of the flames. Suddenly the Command Center exploded and left nothing but smoldering debris behind. The destruction was replaced by the image of Jim in handcuffs, being led away by General Duke. Jim and Duke disappeared and the Command Core came back into view.

She stared at broken pieces of the coffee cup. Her eyes were wide with shock and her breathing was heavy and labored. What the hell was that? What the hell did she just see?

"Optimal altitude has been reached." Sara informed.

Artimes attempted to get her head back on straight and back into reality.

"Plot a course to MS1 and engage rear thruster array gradually until optimal forward momentum has been acquired." Artimes ordered almost like a robot.

Her mind became solely focused on what she had seen. Was it some kind of conscious vision? She had never had one before and she had no idea of what it was supposed to be like. What was her vision trying tell her and what did that infested Command Center have to be with Jim?

In the first part, it was the infested Command Center. It had erupted into flames and then exploded, but the second part was just like her dream minus her being surrounded by the Zerg. She had to figure this out. It was trying to tell her something, something important, but what was it? Her mind was going in circles trying to make sense of what she had seen.

"Forward thrust at twenty-five percent." Sara informed.

"What the hell did they do to that Command Center?!" One of Backwater's marines yelled.

His exclamation drew her attention to the lower middle left screen and Artimes felt her stomach drop. It was the infested Command Center from her vision.

"Whatever it is, it ain't natural. Burn it, boys." Jim ordered.

Burn? The infested Command Center had erupted into flames before it exploded. Should she stop them from destroying it? If she did that, the station could overrun.

"Forward thrust at fifty percent." Sara informed.

Her eyes widened as her brain finally made the connection between her vision and her dream. The destruction of a Confederate installation was against the law, but Duke really wouldn't be that stupid, would, he? What the hell was she thinking? Duke was a Confederate officer. Of course he would be that stupid.

Artimes's telepathy kicked into action and she swore inwardly. She was picking up Duke's thoughts. He was in the area, but not too close. There was still time for her to change the future.

"Jim, listen to me. Don't destroy that Command Center." She ordered after opening a secure comm-link to Jim only.

"Are you crazy?" Jim retorted angrily.

"Damn it, Jim. I just had a vision. The destruction of the Command Center is what gets you arrested by Duke. I heard his thoughts, Jim. He's close by and will arrive soon." Artimes informed hastily.

'Please God, let Jim understand, please.' Artimes thought frantically.

"Are you certain?" Jim asked hesitantly.

"Completely." Artimes stated firmly.

There was a brief moment of silence and Artimes feared that he wouldn't listen to her.

"Shit." Jim replied while opening the comm-link to Backwater's militia.

"Cease firing and get your asses out of here now!" Jim ordered frantically.

Artimes wanted to break out in a happy dance, but the feeling of dread intensified. It was so strong that she felt like she was going to be sick. Suddenly an explosion rang out through the comm-link and Artimes's eyes widened. She looked at the screen and saw the remnants of the infested Command Center burning.

"Forward thrust at seventy-five percent." Sara informed.

"I'm sorry, Artimes. I was too late. Remember what I said this morning, alright darling?" Jim said his voice soft and warm.

"Get out of there, Jim. There is still…" Artimes started.

"Receiving incoming transmission." Sara informed.

"Time." She finished in the barest of whispers.

No, this could not be happening. They won't take Jim from her. They'll see reason, they had to. Artimes was trembling from the amount of emotions welling up inside her.

"Marshal Raynor, by destroying a vital Confederate installation, you and your men have violated standing Colonial law." Duke stated.

He could not be serious. Was everyone in the Confederacy idiots? Artimes's anger began to rise.

"As of right now, you're all under arrest. I suggest you throw down your weapons and come peacefully." Duke finished.

It was official. Artimes wanted to kill Duke with her bare hands.

"Are you outta your mind? If we hadn't burned that damn factory, this entire colony could have been overrun! Maybe if you hadn't taken your sweet time in getting here…" Jim countered.

Even in her anger, Artimes still had room to be proud of Jim for standing up to the Confederacy. He really was the handsome rogue from her story.

"Forward thrust at ninety percent." Sara informed.

"Now I asked you nice the first time, boy. I didn't come here to talk with you. Now throw down them weapons." Duke ordered.

Artimes's anger reached an all time high. Unknown to her, her pupils had become vertical slits like a cat's eyes.

"Forward momentum now at optimal level. Disengaging rear thruster array. We are moving from communications range." Sara informed.

"Guess you wouldn't be a Confederate if you weren't a complete pain in the ass." Jim commented before the comm-link fizzled out and disconnected.

Artimes deactivated the Command Chair and it slid back. She stood and walked around it. She took off her comm gear and didn't even get three steps away from the chair before she froze in place. Artimes's emotions took over her entire being and her heart cried out in rage.

Psionic energy flowed from within her and manifested as bursts of electricity crackling along her body. The comm gear in her left hand sparked wildly and shorted out. Her cat like silver eyes began to glow softly. She clenched her hands into fists and the gear shattered to pieces. An inhuman growl erupted from deep within her chest and up into her throat.

The door of the Command Core slid open and revealed Matthew Grayson, leader of the Alpha unit. He was out of his armor and wearing a short sleeve white shirt and beige pants. His dog tags jangled as he came to a stop.

Artimes's eyes cut over to him in a sideways glare. Grayson paled considerably upon seeing the storm of emotions swirling in her eyes. He raised his hands slowly in defeat and he backed away into the hallway. The door slid close once more.

Inside her mind, Artimes was seething with fury. The Confederates took her parents, they took Alan, and now they had taken Jim. Her hatred no longer included just the Confederate scientists, but the whole of the Confederacy as well. They have gone too far this time and she was going to make them pay. Oh yes, the Confederacy would pay dearly for what they have done.

Unknown to Artimes, who was completely wrapped up in her raging emotions, the green gem around her neck was glowing softly.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Across the stars on the distant planet of Aiur, home world of the Protoss, a warrior of the Templar caste gazed at the stars. Her liquid silver eyes filled with feelings and emotions that were not her own.

Great anger and hatred flowed across the stars and yet it felt like it was raging inside her own mind and body. She was uncertain as to how that was, but she knew something was about to happen. A great change was about to take place, but was the universe ready for it?

Unknown to the Templar warrior, the blue gem that hung from a silver chain around her neck was glowing softly.

Author's Rant

Lady A: There you have it, Chapter 2: Backwater Station is complete. Are you lost yet?

Raynor: Were you trying to lose us on purpose, darling?

Lady A: *thinks for a moment* No, not really, but what I try to do and what actually happens do not always coincide, Jimmy.

Raynor: Uh huh. Now what was the song that the Commander sang to Lily? I mean where the heck did you find that?

Lady A: Song? Oh yeah, the lullaby. That song is called Sleepsong by Secret Garden. I was listening to the Doctor Who Score channel that I had made on Pandora and it fit so perfectly with the scene that I had to use it!

Kerrigan: Pandora?

Artimes: I know what she's talking about. Pandora is radio, but you choose your own channels. She has Lindsey Stirling, Evanescence, Twilight, Doctor Who score, and even a Starcraft channel! Pandora, itself, is a channel on the Roku.

Raynor: What's a Roku?

Lady A: It's a little box that hooks into a television. I even have Netflix through the Roku.

Raynor: I'm just confused. I thought we were talking about radio not television.

Artimes: Actually it's like listening to a music channel on the television.

Kerrigan: Is there a point to all this, Lady A?

Artimes: There has to be a point? Where's the fun in that, Sarah?

Raynor: No, no, no. Sarah's on to something here. Why are we spending so much time talking about unimportant crap, Lady A?

Lady A: *chuckles* The point was to reach 13,000 words and lookey there, we made 13k. I'm so happy.

Raynor and Kerrigan: *mouths drop open*

Raynor: You did all this just so you could hit 13k?!

Kerrigan: Wasn't the last chapter a little over 10.5k?

Artimes: That's right! Awesome job, Lady A!

Lady A: Alright, I'll take pity on you and wrap this up. Review my lovely readers. More reviews, the faster chapters are posted.

Raynor: All that for a lousy 13k! Why me?!

Artimes: *pats Raynor on the shoulder* Breathe, Jim, breathe.


End file.
